


Do you remember why we're in love?

by Aliasprick



Series: Monarchy [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Ash trying his best to win Goh, Cheer him up, Comedy chapters, F/F, F/M, Got angst in later chapters, Gothic style Gladion, M/M, Magical babies cause Goh knows Magic, Monarchy politics, Pregnancy, Tribal Hau, dark memories, siblings bickering
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:54:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 41
Words: 95,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25915435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aliasprick/pseuds/Aliasprick
Summary: This is part 2 of Your wards or me?Synopsis: Ash wasn't going to leave things hanging and so he made a move to reconnect back what they lost.Note: I will update again on Saturday. These coming two days got a lot of rushed jobs I have to complete so until then✌️About patreon:I know this is also shameless ad but please feel free to support me on patreon. Here is the link: https://www.patreon.com/Asami_JojoI plan to turn this fanfic into a whole original piece of itself after it is done (with revision and maybe a twist, that is going to be different than this piece) and maybe soon, you will get to see the tiers where I will give a sneak peek to the first few designs of the original characters.But it is by voluntary terms. Just leaving some support here is good enough as well. 😊
Relationships: Gladio | Gladion/Hau, Gou | Goh/Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Koharu | Chloe & Lilie | Lillie
Series: Monarchy [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1880773
Comments: 8
Kudos: 37





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I just can't wait for two weeks.

_ Short recap : From the previous part… We followed Goh, a king of Vermillion, in his misadventure where he was transformed into a woman and was admitted into the harem. There, he had a fated encounter with Ash, the King of Yadon and in short, they fell in love. Due to circumstances, he was pregnant ( read part 1 to find out more ) and due to circumstances, he was also separated from Ash. Now that he was back in Vermillion, how would his life progress from here on out?  _

\-------

The chains that were linked were disconnected. Would the chains that were broken be reunited again? This was the theme in this continuation of the saga. 

With misfortune coming one after another in previous misadventure, King Goh found it in himself growing up from his initial state. When he first took the throne, he found little credence in his ability to rule a kingdom. 

He treated it as a job, with nothing to live by it. Nothing. There was nothing for him to protect and to lose. He took the responsibility but it was a meaningless responsibility. Since in the kingdom, there was nothing to change, he sat on the throne and went through his daily routine blindly. 

One day, everything changed when fate created another path for him where for the first time, his life was challenged. With the risk of a war with neighbouring kingdoms, he had to seek out solutions which led him to a conclusion of making a deal with Yadon. 

He was turned into a woman by an unfortunate accident and had spent a few months in the consort's harem from the rest of the world. He saw how the world was different from his own. He saw their struggle, their objectives and it motivated him. 

It motivated him to create a world that was equal for everyone and he knew that Ash was also out there doing the same. 

Feeling the love from him and watching Ash grow as a king has made him understand what it meant to walk the path of a king and losing him, made him desire to become a king as great as him. 

While they had the same goal, Ash aimed to merge the kingdoms to be ruled by one ruler and one system. He wanted to unify the system. This, Goh was aware of. 

Yet, everywhere was somebody's home and to standardize everything would mean that some history would be lost. Goh didn't agree to that and he wanted to make an empire where every history would be preserved the way they were, the good part of the kingdom's system were preserved and had each kingdom under the empire define their own justice. 

Because he knew, like Vermillion, every other kingdom held a special place in their people's heart. 

Perhaps what he was looking for was a true promise of unity while keeping their identity intact. 

After all, even in his own kingdom, there were a lot of things for him to protect. 

There was also the century old history still covered with dust. It was foggy and he was walking blindly within it. He was shown clues of the past but where it was leading him to, he knew not of. 

He was walking in an unknown territory, wondering if he would have to face it alone. 

Where the future lied was a mystery. And so, the story continued to uncover more of this future we are speaking of. 

What other mishaps could possibly happen with two newborns on the way?

\-----

General Kukui was cleaning up the patio from the soil that had spilled from the sacks he used to carry the soil to his garden when Ash came over to see him. This morning, they had been debating about the consequences of turning their back on an ally for the third time that week. Sure, a few days ago, Ash may have come to the conclusion of taking Vermillion as a part of his regime instead of alliance but the more Kukui thought about it the more he felt compelled to correct the young leader.

Now that they were in off time from the battle and the fire incident, they had some time to think about an appropriate strategy for their campaigns. A part of Kukui felt that this complex problem had a personal root, one that he had no understanding of. If Ash was intentionally hiding it, it created a gap that needed to be filled in but that gap could not be closed when some details were purposely left out. 

Ash helped to pick up a sack from the floor. 

"Your Excellency, you don't have to trouble yourself". 

"Let me help", said Ash and he moved the sack to the garden and stacked them in the small hut built to keep the rain out. They spent a whole hour moving the soil, 23 packs of them and when it was done, Kukui and Ash sat next to the hut, enjoying the breeze in the countryside in a kingdom where it would be summer all year round. Seasons may change but not the weather here. Yadon never saw snow, or fallen leaves or seasonal flowers. 

All year round was a spring summertime for them.

"Freeeee", they watched a group of butterfree fluttered in the garden. It reminded him of a butterfree he had when he was younger. 

"I had a butterfree which I let go because of its love", said Ash. 

"I'm sorry to hear that". 

"No, it's because of love, I made the decision to let it go. Love gives us a reason to do hurtful things". 

Kukui felt that Ash wanted to tell him something that would help explain his decision regarding Vermillion. Most of the time when he was having a problem he couldn't solve on his own, he would come to Kukui like this to talk to him on a more personal level like father and son. Kukui let Ash paced out his own time, patiently keeping an ear open for the young man. 

"About this morning, it's also connected to the affair of the heart", said Ash. 

"How so, your excellency?" 

"This is just between you and me so, please keep it a secret from others". 

"You have my promise". 

"You see, Princess Gou is a lovely person. She is different from anyone else that I know of. She loves books, she has big dreams to chase after Mew. But these qualities are what I thought made her attractive but then I found out another side of her. She is also a he". 

"A what?" Kukui tilted his head towards Ash in shock. 

"In fact, his real identity is King Goh. Remember what I told you during the fire incident? I told you that the King of vermillion is here but you didn't take me seriously". 

"I thought you were just saying out of the blue because of the shock from all the incident that was happening". 

"The perpetrator told me of their objective. Our palace was burnt down because they were hunting for King Goh". 

"But how can you tell if they are the same person? We don't even know if she is still alive".

"Remember the day I disappeared from your place?" asked Ash. 

"Where did you go?" 

"The Cave of Unheeding Boar. I went inside and I found a fireplace that is still warm, a drawing that resembles a magic circle and a blanket from our palace". 

"This… "

"Princess Gou attested that she could not use magic but all of these pointed out to a possibility that she is using one. Then, the claim of the perpetrator must be true. It's King Goh that was inside our harem, not a princess". 

"You're saying he is using magic to change his sex. Then… he escaped that night?" 

"Probably returned to Vermillion". 

"Then why do you still want to go after him and his Kingdom? This is just deception on his part but we still benefit from the alliance". 

"Because I love him and I want to tell him that he doesn't have to pretend that it never happened. I just want us to be together and I want him to understand that but I know he will block me out if I don't corner him like that ". 

Ash let it all out. He felt slightly better talking about it instead of bottling up to himself. 

"Your Excellency, love doesn't have to have real repercussions. Maybe talking it out is the only thing you needed. If I ever fought with Burnett, we would try to solve it ourselves without impacting the livelihood of others". 

"You mean to tell me that there should be a better way to come to a compromise? But how? " 

"You know what?" Kukui stood up from the ground. "I'll help you figure this one out, your excellency". 

"You're always so dependable". 

"Of course. After all, I'm your sword as well as your shield. Any problem at all, you can come to me and I'll help you in anyway I can". 


	2. The Prince and Princess of Vermillion

Eight months and a half into his pregnancy, his water broke in the morning. It was earlier than scheduled: the babies were ready to come out into the world. That morning had been a mess as his parents went into a state of panic and called for the court doctor. The doctor searched for an available midwife and brought her to the castle after an oath of silence was agreed on. 

Behind the curtain, His Royal Highness Ikuo and his wife, Her Royal Highness Kurune were unable to sit still, as they paced in wait for the babies' birth. 

The room was only lit up with candlesticks, the shadow of the king and his midwife told them what was happening behind the curtain that isolated the king from his parents. 

Inside the curtain, one could hear the excessive curses being carelessly thrown. The king was trying hard at his first experience of giving birth which in normal circumstances, he wouldn't have to and swore that there wouldn't be a next time after this. 

The midwife in charge gave him a block to chew on as he struggled to get them out. His hands were tied to the bedposts to keep him from sliding and also to maintain the position he was in. His legs spread open and his under felt like it was tearing apart. 

He would never look down on a woman again and would dedicate a holiday to celebrate their maternal contribution to the country. Childbirth was a warzone for a woman, months of long pain and seizuring endline. 

_ It had been hours! Just come the fuck out!  _

An hour before midnight was when the first baby came out. He wasn't crying at first and the midwife lightly tapped his back to get the first cry out of him. 

The midwife spoke from behind the curtain. "It's a boy, His Majesty! You have an heir to your throne!" 

"Give me a moment. Still got another one", Goh took the block off his mouth to speak. This one was a lazy baby and he had to work a little harder to get the baby out for the next hour. 

It was sharp at midnight when he managed to get the baby out, catching his breath and he plopped down on the mattress, soaking in his own sweat and fluid. The bed would be burnt after this so that he didn't have a reminder of tonight. 

_ They're out. Hurrah.  _

The second child was a girl. She barely gave them a sniffle before falling back asleep. The midwife cleaned the twins and bundled them in a piece of warm fabric. It was early winter for them and the night in the castle was cold. 

In three weeks, he would return back to being a man. In three weeks, his nightmare would finally be over. The queen was cradling the boy in her arms and the midwife was walking over to them with his daughter. She passed the girl to Goh who raised an eyebrow at the baby's face. 

"You're all swollen", said King Goh, "is this going to be permanent?" 

"No, His Majesty. In a few hours, the swell would calm down", said the midwife. 

"They are so cute. I can see it. This boy is taking after you", Kurune lightly poked the boy's cheek with her finger. 

"I think they're hungry", said Goh. The midwife later taught him how to breastfeed the babies. This would last until he transformed back into a man and apparently he had no choice in it because the milk could be a poison to his body if he didn't give it to the babies. After that, they would have to hire a wet nurse to feed them. 

_ Drink while you can babies.  _ He felt a maternal connection to them through the simple act of breastfeeding. Not that he was going to miss it. 

"Have you thought of names for them, dear?" asked Kurune. 

He had in fact indulged himself in the book of names while waiting for the day they would come out. The baby naming dictionary was a thick encyclopedia with thousands of names to choose from. 

There were so many names he liked, making it hard for him to choose but after weeks of choosing, he finally settled with the names he liked best that would contain his memory and pledge. 

"Aria Rose", he said, "for the girl". Aria stood for 'Noble' and Rose was because it was a flower that he received from Ash. 

"That's a beautiful name", said Ikuo. 

"Levi for the boy", said Goh. Levi stood for 'Join in harmony', a name he wished would bring harmony to his kingdom or empire in the future. 

"That's a short name", Ikuo commented. 

"My name is shorter". 

"King Levi sounds good", said Kurune. 

"See, mother likes it". 

"Princess Aria Rose and Prince Levi, my son has better taste in naming than me", said Ikuo. 

"Are you regretting naming me Goh?" 

"It could've been better". 

"I somehow feel offended", Goh frowned at the interim king. 

"But we love you all the same", Kurune said as she passed Levi to Goh. It was a warm family moment between them, something he cherished deeply. 

Baby Levi and baby Aria were soundlessly asleep when they were well fed. The midwife put them in a crib close to Goh so he could nurse them when he needed to. 

Thinking back, having them was not a walk in the park but he was glad that they could finally meet, safe and sound. 

\-----------

The night of the babies' birth, in another part of the castle, Chloe, still in his boy form, was sitting cross legged in front of her katana. The katana was convulsing erratically, its sound resonating inside the room as if it was restless. 

Raihan was also in the room, his eyes' pupil dilating as he felt the cold energy surrounding the castle invading. This oscillation of ominous feeling crept through every corner of the castle, seeping through its stone wall, making him agitated. 

"The witch, she's coming", he whispered, feeling the itch to cut everything around him but without his master's will, he wouldn't be able to. 

"The witch?" 

"Your king's daughter is the rebirth of the witch", replied Raihan, trying to calm his bloodlust down. Until the baby was delivered, the dark energy would continue to surround them to celebrate the coming of the witch. 

Chloe remembered what Raihan had told her after they severed the soul contract between the two kings. 

The poltergeist had told her that both of them were entities that were not supposed to be joined. King Ash was a direct descendant of the knight that took the aura power from the witch while King Goh was from the witch's bloodline. 

The circumstances had put them together in a position where one of them could bear children. This resulted in the rebirth of the witch as the aura power was returned to the witch's bloodline. 

The way Raihan was reacting to it gave her some idea of the calamity that might be coming their way. 

Raihan wasn't the only sword that was affected by the birth of Aria. 

In Saffron, away from Yadon, Ash was awakened by the sound of his sword rattling against its sheath late at night. He left his bed to check on the noises and it was then he saw an armoured man standing next to the shaking sword. 

The man looked recognizable. After a while of trying to recall it, he remembered meeting him in the dream that was cut away from him. He briefly recalled the man's name as Leon. 

"What are you doing here, Sir Leon?" asked Ash. 

"I believe this is the second time we met, King Ash. I am your sword that you wield and I am happy to inform you that your daughter has arrived into this world", said Leon. 

"My daughter… You are saying that the pregnancy is real. That he really carried a child from me?" 

"There isn't a moment to be rejoicing. That child is cursed". 

Ash demanded an explanation and Leon briefed him about the story of the witch and his glory. "Such things happened and I have no clue", said Ash. 

"Unfortunately, I am a sword that is wielded for the purpose of defeating her. Someday, you might have to raise me against your own daughter". 

Before Ash could reply anything, Leon disappeared from sight. Raising his sword against his daughter? Why was it uneasy for him to have this love? 

"Oh hand,oh hand, why is my love cursed?" He looked down at them in sadness. He asked but the room was pin dropped silent. 

There was another sword that was also affected by the birth of the princess. Far across the continent, in a palace where King Giovanni resided, when the sun was just setting down, a sword displayed in a glass casing was shaking and glowing red. 

Akai no Red was the name of the sword and its steel was as red as the colour of the blood. King Giovanni, having inherited the sword through his bloodline, watched it with excitement clear in his eyes. 

"Rejoice, oh the followers of darkness for the witch has arrived. Soon, the world will be cursed in an everlasting winter once she reaches of age. Soon, she will reign the world again",said King Giovanni, his palm sliding down the glass casing of the sword. 

Aria, for Goh was a blessing but for others, she was a blight. 

\----------

Mew could feel the unpleasant energy surrounding the castle getting stronger a moment before the birth of the babies. It coasted the chamber and settled on the curtain rail while down below, the king was sweating profusely from trying his hardest to push his babies out. 

When the first child, the boy was given birth to, Mew felt the dark energy scurrying away from him and his surrounding. This boy was a special magician, whom it had given some of its power to for a bigger task for him when he grew up. 

When the baby boy was given to his grandmother, the pokemon left the rail at the density of dark energy emanating from the surrounding and drifted closer to the baby boy. It was his magic, albeit still in development, that kept some parts of the room purified. This child's existence was a blessing. 

When the girl was given birth to, the darkness paraded at her existence, bathing the surrounding with cold energy. None of the magicians in the room could sense the change except for it because aura and magic property when combined together was different than just the magic they inherited. 

When the two babies were put down next to each other, her cold energy became dormant again and the room was back to normal. The boy was fast asleep but his head tilted a little towards the sister. Mew finally could enclose its distance with the baby. 

Upon closer inspection, it wondered. The description of a witch didn't really suit her - her temperament was mild and she had a gentle feature - how could a child like this walk the path of evil? 

Mew hoped that the pair was born to complement each other. Like ying and yang, like light and darkness. 

When the boy cooed, Mew nuzzled him and it lay down next to him.This boy was special, it was sure of it. He would make a difference in the nearest future to save the ones close to him. 


	3. Spring

Mid spring, fifth month… 

" _ Sleep tight, my darling,  _

_ In mummy's hold…"  _

It was like an ambience, the voice that sang the lullaby. The voice was faint, at times it was barely audible to the ears but Levi caught the tune. He cooed and tried to gurgle the song's words according to the tune and when the song ended, he was a little disheartened. 

It was entering mid spring and the flowers were in full bloom outside. The twins were by then entering their fifth month. It was nearing the setting time of the sun in Vermillion Kingdom and outside, in the meadow next to the river, Kurune and Ikuo were helping to monitor the seat arrangements for the gathering with other nobles that were happening that night. 

The feast for tonight was still being prepared in the castle's kitchen; the castle's cooks and their helpers were all so busy with the preparation as they prepared the key cuisines for the noble guests. An important day it was for both Princess Aria and Prince Levi as it was their introduction to the royal family line. 

Back in the room, Levi heard the song again on repeat and he tried humming to it again. The voice sounded gentle and he was very much in love with the calming tune. 

As he sang, golden light surrounded the room and some small pokemons such as Flabebe and Ribombee flew into the room through the open window and danced around him. He was very much amused by it and tried to reach out to them with his tiny hands. 

When the song was gone again, he gurgled in displease, making high pitch noise to scold it for being gone again. The noise he made was soon concealed by the noise of the heavy door being opened and in came King Goh with his readily dressed princess into the room. 

"I just need to get Levi ready but I can't leave Aria or she starts crying again", sighed Goh when he stood next to Levi's crib. 

The two had grown big enough to cramp the crib and they had to be separated into different ones. Goh placed the crib next to one another for ease of checking on them. 

He called for the servant to carry Aria while he took care of Levi. Bathing Levi was nigh on impossible. Once he touched the water, he pedalled his feet, splashing water everywhere and giving Goh a hard time to lather the oil mix onto him. 

Goh was drenched to the core, which was why he decided to handle Levi after getting Aria ready. She was easier to handle and enjoyed her bath in a calm manner. 

He could've left everything to the servant but King Goh would rather take care of his children himself. His mother did it for him and so would he for his children. 

When he was done with them, he made a haste to get himself ready. There wasn't much time left until the guests would arrive but he managed to leave the room in time for the event. 

Those who attended were from the noble houses. Princess Chloe wasn't able to join them - ever since they returned to the kingdom, she had been accompanying Hodge at the general camp to learn about the military system in Vermillion. 

The nobles tooked turns to greet Ikuo and Kurune who were holding the babies while Goh made himself nearly impossible to be approached by sitting at the feast table, watching it all pass by. 

Everyone knew how he would rather make himself unavailable for the duration of the party but he was there because he had to, given that he was the host of it. 

"Such adorable little things! Are they the king's?" asked one of the noble guests, a lady who was in love with the twins. 

"There were circumstances but yes", answered Kurune. 

"What happened to the mother? Is she here?" the lady asked. 

"Right at the moment, no. Their mother… due to reasons, you know what, had decided not to join the party", they eyed Goh from far. 

"Ah…. I see. Is it that kind of incident?" asked the lady, trying to be nosy of a good story. 

"Perhaps more complicated than that", said Ikuo, leaving her puzzled by his answer. 

It wasn't uncommon that an illegitimate child would be the next in line for the throne. Once in a while, such things would happen but the Vermillion monarchy had looked past it. 

A direct descendant of the throne was usually stronger and more gifted than the rest and to protect a kingdom, they needed a reliable king rather than a weak one. 

Another guest came to take a look at the babies. He was Ikuo's cousin, Frederick. He commented on the prince's appearance. "The prince clearly takes after his father except his eyes were brown and his hair is greenish black. Those must have come from the mother". 

"The princess does not look like the king except for her eyes and her hair colour but I think I've seen a potrait character that looked like her…" said Frederick. Kurune and Ikuo just remembered that this man is a merchant who traded Magikarp scales with Yadon Kingdom. He made a pile of fortune overseas that his wealth was on par with the king.

He wasn't that interested in governing and so it was working for all of them. He was often invited to the royal balls there due to his noble status and he must have at least seen King Ash once. 

"Ahaha, is that so? You could be mistaken, my dear cousin", said Ikuo. 

"No, no, His Royal Highness. I definitely saw her face before! I think at one of the balls I attended outside, a similar baby painting was hung on a wall but I couldn't recall in which events it was that I've attended but I assure you, they were two peas in a pod! The saving grace for her is her blue eyes and red tinted hair or I wouldn't know that this child is the king's", the guest was confident of his memory. 

He had never missed any details in his mind since his magic allowed him to remember every single detail that happened in his life. The only thing he couldn't do was piecing the instances together into valuable information and so he often forgets the venue where the event had taken place. 

"When I recall it, I'll let you know, your royal highness!" 

_ Please don't _ , Ikuo said in his head while on the outside, he was all for it. 

When the gathering was coming to an end, Goh finally made his speech to thank them for making it all the way to the castle for the introductory party. 

He was quick to leave the party after it was all over, bringing both of the twins to change them out of their outfit and put them in a comfortable jumper. 

He spent the rest of the night getting some work done (the workload he had missed for a whole year), reading through submitted suggestions and problems appearing everywhere around the country. When a workload had been piled up, one had no time to relax until it was all reduced. 

He fell asleep while still working, only to be awakened by Aria crying like every other night. Aria easily got shocked despite being a deep sleeper and whenever this happened, he wished he knew how to sing even if it was mediocre. He pulled himself together and left the scrolls smeared with his drool on the bed to attend to the princess' need. 

Such was the daily life of King Goh until his twins were old enough to be left in the care of their grandparents. 

\---------

Sixth months, End of Spring… 

Vermillion's military was divided by a number of different units. Each of the units played different roles on the battle ground. Mainly, Vermillion cavalry were divided into defensive units, assault units and intelligence units. 

Under the unit for defense, it was further divided into two sub units. The first was the border units, mainly comprising magicians who specialised in creating barrier and on foot units, soldiers who specialized in archery and cannons shooting and pokemons who could tank attacks such as onyx and snorlax. 

The second unit under the defense category would be the active defense unit . Active defense units would be the magicians that would be sent out for missions to support or shield active assaulters in the battlefield. Magicians that supported a unit such as this specialized in the knowledge of healing, energy armour and deflection. 

Then there was an active assaulter unit. Active assault unit was divided by ranks that give them the right to take assignments according to what their rank would permit. There were four ranks in the active assault unit: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Diamond ranks. 

Bronze level soldiers would be given D class missions. These missions were mostly taken by entry level soldiers. They would be assisting the public with their needs and also responding to orders to be a part of a war troop when necessary. After completing three years, then they were required to take the Silver rank test. Another way was to meet the minimum quota of missions to qualify for the promotion. 

Depending on the result, a soldier in Silver rank could be assigned to C class missions or B class missions. They were allowed to retake the test to get better scores for a more challenging mission. 

Once they had taken a large number of B class missions, they would be given another test to enter Gold Rank for A class missions. 

Among the soldiers who qualified for the rank, there would be another test to get the high officer position. High officers often lead a troop unit in any of the other units. Or they could lead a small team composed of only Gold ranking soldiers. 

Then, if they received recommendation from the High General to the king, they would be given a Diamond Rank to take up elite missions. Only a few people were able to climb to such height and they needed to gain the High General's trust. 

When a Diamond rank soldier showed accomplishment above expectation, that was when they would be chosen to become the High General for the king. This showed how long it took for Hodge to climb to his current position and for a non magician, it was no easy feat. 

The last unit was the intelligence unit. Intelligence units specialized in intelligence gathering as their name suggested. They were a small school but they were the most secretive and deceptive unit. 

A lot of these soldiers were taught to sway the people with their seduction and they were also able to go on a solo mission without getting caught, putting their skills as above others. Much was not known about them due to their secretive nature. 

With the additional support unit from Yadon, the number of soldiers for deployment increased. While the king had yet to arrive to a conclusion of how he was going to manage the alliance, whether it would be continuing or would it go down the drain, the High General accomodated the Yadon support unit and assigned them in different areas. 

Their general, High Ranking Officer Brock, worked together with High General Hodge to fend off from the enemy. Things had been calm for more than a year now thanks to them. 

With that said, the two became drinking friends and they were hitting it up well and even shared almost similar opinions of war doctrine. It was a no brainer - Hodge often brought Brock to the pubs to be pampered by ladies and he loved it despite being turned down by most of them. 

The alliance seemed to be going well. Even when Chloe was brought in to assist with Brock, there wasn't much to be worried about eventhough Brock loved women since despite his hobby, he was a loyal man. 

And so, Chloe began to learn under the two generals. Raihan was also glad that he was kept away from the castle since it was hard to breath in a castle full of the mix of aura and magic. Once in a while when they had to return, then he had to bear with it but he got used to the intensity after having exposed to it frequently. 

Chloe aimed to go far in her military career. She would learn more katana fighting with Brock since they both were using Katana and went through a hellish training recipe prepared by Hodge. She persevered and the result began to show. Less than a year, Chloe had earned her Gold rank. 

The Spring was ending when Chloe returned to the castle for a short break. She was greeted by the sight of Goh chasing after Levi who seemed to have learnt how to make Mew levitate him around the castle. 

"I wonder if His Majesty is the master to Mew or his son?" Chloe commented at the scene. When he finally caught Levi with a confinement bubble magic (apparently Levi was now a troublemaker despite being just a sixth months old), he held the boy really tightly to stop him from creating another mischief. 

Chloe didn't need to wonder whom he took after - this mischievous side of him was clearly Goh's since she remembered how he was in their childhood. 

"Levi, don't be naughty!" 

"Mummmmmm", Levi waved his hands at him, addressing him with the only word he learnt from the frequent singing. 

"Not mum. Papa", Goh said, trying to correct the child. 

"Mmmumm". 

"That's not-" 

"Technically, he is right", said Chloe, still at the door, greeted Goh with a roasting. 

Goh glared at her but greeted her appropriately. 

"I'll come play with you later, Levi", Chloe greeted the baby who gurgled in excitement at the sight of his aunt. She returned to her room she had left for months. 

Raihan was put on the holder as she went to take a bath. 

She was perfectly content with the way things are for her. 

\-----------

Baby Aria, snuggling with her blanket, had been snoozing for hours. She would only wake up if it was time to sleep and it was time for Goh to come around to check on her. 

He usually would let his little girl crawl in the room while he continued to complete his work but today, she seemed to be sleeping quite a bit more than usual. Levi was with Chloe for the rest of the day and so was out of his hand. 

He did a bit of stamping after going through the final version of the new hamlet planning map and its supporting planning descriptions. It was near a river and it offered easy ferrying for boats. 

"It would be good to spread out further than the capital. It would be cleaner", he pondered about it. 

When he heard the sound of the blanket shuffling, he looked over at the crib and little Aria yawned sleepily, her fingers rumpled into small fists as she yawned again. 

Goh walked over to take her out from the crib. He gave a small rub behind her back before bringing her to the wet nurse. Aria's routine would be sleeping, eating and crawling around the room to explore. She was the opposite of Levi whose priority was playing, eating then sleeping. 

When she was sated, Goh let her explore the room while he returned to the hamlet planning documents. Little Aria began to seek an adventure around the room and found a small beetle walking towards the wall. She followed the beetle, poking it with her tiny finger gently, pushing it forward. 

When the beetle was flapping its wings, she got too excited that a small energy was released from the tip of her finger towards the beetle. Aria watched in horror as the beetle lost its life and it became a dried out corpse. 

She began to sniff, catching Goh's attention in an instant. 

"Aria, what's wrong?" he came over to pick up his baby. He saw a dried beetle corpse and thought that it might have scared her. 

"Poor beetle. But it's gone now", he called for the servant to take it out while trying to ease her crying. 

That night, the twins were tucked in the crib. When Goh left them, Levi heard the voice again and he began to hum to the tune as he yawned sleepily from its melody. 

Aria, having listened to Levi's humming, felt herself rested and she suckled on her thumb, forgetting the incident of the beetle. 

" _ Sleep tight, my darling,  _

_ In mummy's hold…"  _


	4. Time that passed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I made a small correction here. Intelliin came back at the end of Spring, not Summer.

Within the four months after the fire in Yadon Palace, while the palace was still under construction, together with His Royal Guard Kukui, King Ash selected the candidacy for the border defense units. A new General, one that was more competent than the previous ones. 

The candidacy went to Brendan and his vice general was a title given to Rosa. This selection caused a major shake off in the old council but the king was quick at dismissing the council in favour of a more qualifications based government . 

The new Empire was in the making. During the changes of the government, at the end of Summer of his second year of war, the soon to be emperor left for another campaign up North to take over the small kingdom of Celadon. Celadon was a country that was squeezed between GoldRoad Kingdom and Yadon Kingdom. 

When news went around the world of Yadon's campaigns up North, GoldRoad King thought of taking advantage of the situation to conquer Celadon Kingdom. Changing his focus from Vermillion, he doubled his man units towards Celadon. 

A month later, Celadon was divided into two, one half was taken over by GoldRoad and another half was taken over by Yadon. The war seemed to come to a standstill for a while, until the king decided that if he were to take out the main general at the center of GoldRoad Cavalry in Celadon, he would be able to chip the area little by little. 

At the break of the dawn, at the center of the bloodsoaked ground, two men met with their swords and armour fully equipped. Their Rapidash dashed forward as they prepared their weapons to face off each other. 

King Ash was watched by his cavalry that was nervous of the outcome of the duel. On his back, Pikachu was perching in wait for his order. Whoever wins the duel will have the power over the other. The main general of GoldRoad, with his Crobat keeping a close eye, in his helmet, pointed his sword at the king. 

"We will take you down right here!" he roared and his words reached the ears of his cavalry and they banged their drums and roared. Ash wasn't taunted by his words. Let his action speaks for itself. 

The king and the GoldRoad general began to exchange blows. Steel against steel, Ash evaded the strike targeting his crucial areas. The general was brute and strong and even if his fighting way was heavy and choppy, it was hard to fend off his brash attacks. 

Behind the helmet, the general laughed out loud, having exceeded the king in terms of strength. Ash waited for an opening and when the general was too proud of his strength and swung his heavy sword too far, Ash took the chance and struck the open target on his abdomen. 

However, it wasn't nearly enough to take down the general. 

"Do you really think this measly attack will kill me? How sweet of you, " the general scorned. 

He shoved Ash to the ground. His strength was really unparalleled. 

He ordered his Crobat to use 'Air Cutter' on Ash but Pikachu used Thunderbolt to stop it from finishing the blow. The king was quick to rise from the ground to evade the general's rapidash stomping foot. His own had wandered off further from him after the initial shock. He took off his helmet to get a better view of the enemy. 

The general delivered a few more blows and cornered him with his Rapidash. He was clearly on the disadvantage side and if nothing were done, he would die right here. His dreams to make an empire, to reach out to the one he wanted most, would die right then. 

"I won't allow myself to fall here!" he shouted to counter the thoughts. His determination was answered. Ash felt a strange strength being drawn out from inside himself. It was then, Leon stood next to him, his arms folded as he watched the general's eyes widen at the enigma he was seeing. 

Leon felt a shiver coursed through his spine. He had seen the aura cloak take form on many of his previous masters but none had completed the look of an emperor. 

Black crown rested atop of his forehead, black aura emanating in the form of cloak streamed down from his shoulders and his armour completely turned bottomless black. 

"I will not give up even if it means, taking you down", said Ash, drawing his sword upwards. When he slashed it down, death was inevitable as the powerful energy from it tore bones, skin and flesh to dust. 

Aura power, different from magic, was a negative form of the two energies that brought only disaster and a sure death. A combined form of the two would create a reinforced magic that took life on earth and sent the world into a deep state of terror.

Here, the king had awakened his aura power. His victory was secured with the death of the general but the fear was instilled not just in the enemy but also in the people who followed him. 

\---------

At the beginning of Summer of the year after the birth, in Yadon… 

One of the agreement deals made between Yadon and Vermillion was a tax waiver on a product from Vermillion. King Goh had chosen the Magikarp scale to be the product receiving this benefit. 

Despite being in the center of between three other kingdoms, Magikarp migrated upwards to Vermillion rivers due to the nature of Vermillion's water that was a spring of life and as a result, farming them had been an agriculture practice in Vermillion.

Magikarp scales were the scale pieces that were shed by a Magikarp every once in a week. These scales were harvested for various purposes. They were so sturdy and often became a material for making chain mails. 

Frederick, Ikuo's cousin, was one of the many who had taken that advantage and dominated the export market of Magikarp scales in Yadon Kingdom. He was often seen to travel to Yadon to meet new clients and had an agreed deal signed with them. 

Today, he was meeting a new client and they were lounging in his office study as they talked about the business deal. The client, he noted, had a very similar feature to the princess. 

He at first dismissed it but the colour code of his hair and eyes coordinating with the prince and his facial resemblance to the princess was so striking that he couldn't ignore it anymore. It led him into believing that they were related to one another. 

He was rarely wrong in this sort of thing. Due to his memory magic, Frederick was also able to determine details that every family member inherited from their genetic pool when compared to each other. So he waited for the opportunity to sought-after the answer to this riddle. 

When it was lunch time, his assistants brought in the food for them. Frederick took the opportunity to ask the client about his background. 

"If you don't mind me asking, do you have a sister, Sir Ketchum?" 

"I have sisters on my father's side but they had married nobles in other kingdoms". 

"Have they recently returned to Yadon?" 

"I haven't seen them in years. They stayed with their husbands for five years now." 

_ Then, it shouldn't be possible for the king to have met them last year. I heard that he was only in Yadon for business's trip and if here is where he was staying, then he shouldn't have gone anywhere else, knowing that nephew of mine…  _ thought Frederick. 

Affairs weren't uncommon but for something like that to happen, they had to be together first. With the client telling him how his sisters were outside of the kingdom, then he ruled out the chances of the affair being with the client's sisters. 

"How about cousins? Do you have female cousins?" 

"All of them are men", said the client. 

_ Then how are they a spitting image of this man right here?  _ he struggled to understand the connection to the undebatable resemblance. 

"Why do you ask?" the client was curious of his out of place questions. 

"Ah…. You see, your face reminded of my grandniece and grandnephew. Especially my grandniece. She has the exact copy of your face", explained Frederick. 

The words he said seemed to catch his interest as he looked at him with shock clear in his eyes. 

"How old are they?" 

"They're closing in to their first birthday in a few months. Both are twins. They're very adorable children. Wait, I can show you them so you can see what I meant when I said the girl looked just like you. You see I have a magic ability to capture memories but I can also show them to others. Just let me bring a mirror", said Frederick, taking a mirror out of the drawer. 

He placed it on the desk and chanted a short spell. The client gasped when a silent moving picture of him greeting Ikuo and Kurune appeared on the mirror. When the twins appeared in the mirror, he was captivated by it at first before a small warm smile curved on his lips. 

"I can see what you meant", said Sir Ketchum. "Thank you for showing me this. It means a lot". 

Frederick wasn't sure what he did that made the client thank him but later, when they continued to agree on the order quantity, he scored a high batch request from the client. They were to be supplied to a chain mail blacksmith company that was making chain mails for the armies. 

He was happy with the outcome although he was requested to share stories to the client once in a while of his grandniece and grandnephew. 

It was a peculiar request but if it made the client happy, he would gladly oblige.

\----

Early Autumn, ninth months… 

The deployment of Yadon King's cavalry in Celadon became a hot topic of conversation in many places. Words about the goal of his campaign became hope to some and terror to others. 

Many kings in other kingdoms had been discussing with their courts about the spread of his ambition and ideology - those who didn't rule fairly were afraid of an uprising in their kingdom driven by it. 

While Vermillion was far from corrupt, it didn't mean it should take a cosy seat. Despite its initial alliance with Yadon kingdom, before it moved on to rise as an empire, Vermillion wasn't dropping its guard that it could be taken away from them. 

Its king called for a meeting with the commissioners and agreed that they were to expand their own power. Having a score to settle with Ecruteak, King Goh formed a plan to invade the neighbouring kingdom. 

Ever since the third month he was back in power, the young king had sent out an intelligence unit into Ecruteak to gather information about the land itself. 

They knew that the safest route had been blocked from usage but that had been dampened by the alliance with Yadon as Azalea now made trade easier as a demand in some type of resources in Vermillion became valuable as new use had been found in them. 

It was closing into the end of Spring when Intellion, from the intelligence unit, returned to Vermillion to give Goh a full report of what it saw. Ecruteak, it described as a kingdom that was divided by social class. The capital had two divisions, it said. The rich lived in an area called the Opulent Acres while the poor lived in impoverished areas. 

Outside of the capital, small hamlets and villages were scattered and most of them relied on red light districts businesses to survive. There were a few hamlets owned by nobles and they often collected huge taxes on the people to fund their corrupted actions. 

The population of the poor was higher than the rich. Targeting their desire to be fairly treated would give them the advantage instead. Every kingdom around Vermillion knew that they had an open and just governing system. 

Wouldn't they be willing to fight with Goh to earn back their freedom? 

Ecruteak was also surrounded by mountain ranges. There were many villages that lied within the mountain ranges and there were also tribes that lived inside it that were left alone due to the monarchy failing to assimilate them into the wider population. 

The tribes had their own leaders but the strongest of the tribes was led by a man called Hau. With that said, it would be an advantage to talk and create an alliance with the tribe leader to take their side in the war. 

However, it wouldn't be as simple as sending someone to represent the king to meet the man. They needed the king to meet with Hau to discuss the deals. 

Between the mountain ranges and Vermillion Kingdom borders, many of the scattered population created villages. While there were a few of Ecruteak army camps nearby those villages, the number of the troops were not as large as the ones nearby the capital where the elite forces were mainly at. 

It would be better to sneak into the mountain, build the camps inside and when it was time, go down the mountain to attack the capital and the surrounding villages and hamlets. The additional support can come from the tribes, if the king successfully makes the agreement. 

Before Intellion left the castle for its next assignment, he gave a piece of paper to Goh. It was a bounty poster of Hau and there was something peculiar about the poster. He took note of it as an additional leverage to convince Hau to join him.

King Goh knew he would at least have to leave for two to three months. And so, Ikuo once again held the position of interim king and the twins were left to their grandparents to be taken care of. 

Aria was crying when Goh was at the castle's gate with his Galarian Rapidash waiting for him. He held her and rubbed her back. Her crying caused Levi to also start to sniff. They knew he would be gone for some time. 

"I'll come back, promise", Goh said to sooth his girl. 

"Munyummmnyu", her gibberish scoldings made him laugh but it was a gentle sound. 

"Alright, I'll bring you some gifts". 

He gave Aria to Kurune and caressed Levi's head. "Be a good boy, alright?" 

"No!" he said, shaking his head as he said that to him. No was the second word he learnt and ever since had become his favourite words. 

"Come on, you can do it for papa right?" he made a cooing face. 

"No!" Levi hid his face in Kurune's shoulder, protesting against the idea of Goh leaving. 

"Aww, papa is sad now. I'll leave then". 

"Mummmmmmmyy!!!!!!" he wailed when Goh told him that, stretching out his arms towards him. 

_ He just won't drop it….  _

Goh took him and let Levi hugged him like a little baby koala for a couple of minutes before giving him to Ikuo. 

The twins watched him go. He had a mission that forced him to leave them and he couldn't be weak now for them. 

"To Ecruteak", he said, accompanied by Acerola and High Magician Ren.


	5. Robin Hood of Ecruteak

Far in the Northwest of Vermillion, the border wall towered underneath the tangerine glow of the horizon. Sweet scent of the autumn breeze was deeply satisfying as the Galarian Rapidashes carrying Goh, Acerola and High Magician Ren galloped on the rough road. 

Goh's staff was slung on his back, hidden by the cloak he was wearing. Their hoods offered a little protection from the cold and when they arrived at the border, they got down from the Rapidashes, leaving the signature ride to be taken care of by the soldiers in the tower. 

The three took a ride in a wagon of a merchant whom they had paid to cross the border. The merchant had a paper for checking at Ecruteak's border gate. They paid him with some silvers to bring them in. 

After a few hours, they finally arrived at Ecruteak's checkpoint. The wagon master told the soldier at the border of the number. The soldier guarding the border didn't ask too much and they were allowed to cross it. 

The border checking was lax, as expected from a country that was densest with the population of illegal migrants in their country. When they safely made it inside Ecruteak, the wagon master rode to a small village not too far from the border. They found an accomodation in a guest house and took a break for the night. 

It was his first time in Ecruteak's village outskirts . Before this, if there were invitations, he would often directly go to the Ecruteak Castle. Being in the village made him realize what a corrupt country this had been. If a rickety guest house such as this was any indication, then the people were robbed from their money. 

He saw a few Ecruteak slaves wandering the night street searching for customers to spend the night with. He managed to avoid the advances they made and were lucky enough to find a clean old guest house. 

While Ecruteak often sent slaves to do their dirty work like the one that was searching for him, a lot of them became impoverished and had to do labor work or sacrificed themselves in the red light district. 

It wrenched the hearts of those who saw their states. 

Dinner was served to them in their own room but the dish was just steamed sweet potatoes. It reminded him of the ride on the ship to Yadon where he had to eat commoners' food but even then, it was more lavish than this. 

He peeled the skin, feeling burnt on the tip of his fingers but he didn't put too much of a complaint. The potato was amazingly sweet, something he didn't expect from a dish so simple. 

He felt sleepy after having the sweet potato. Yawning, the king settled himself on the mattress and dozed off. 

\----------

There was an urban legend in Ecruteak - a myth that not many people knew if their existence was real or was a myth. The stories went as such: at night, a lady in black would steal from the rich and when she had the golds, it would be given to the poor. 

A few of the nobles who lived in the hamlets often claimed that the stories of the robbery had been true but nobody believed them because the rich ones were some untrustworthy bunch. 

The urban legend stayed with them and was often told to the children as a bedtime story. Some of them cheered and agreed what the woman had done for them while there were people who thought her method was unlawful. The only thing that was factually true was nobody knew if the tales rang any truth in it. 

They called it the legend of Robin Hood. For a country that was ruined by its monarchy, the legend offered a small escape for them. 

It was dark outside in the village where Goh, Acerola and Ren were staying in. The only light that night was the cold ray of the moon. From far, they could hear the sound of Lycanroc howling, answering to one another's call over the moon.

Only a few buildings were seen to have their lights on but they were mostly fire lit to drive the mosquitoes away. It was dark out but rustling steps could be heard from the grasses being stomped. The noise was veiled by the howling and for a man's ears, it couldn't be heard well. The figure avoided a roped Galarian Rapidash to avoid startling it. 

At nights like this, it was easy for the night wanderers to move about. Even their running steps on the rooftop couldn't be heard, raising no alarms from whoever staying underneath it. The door to the guesthouse unlocked, its owner letting in a woman in a hooded robe. 

The owner said, "I've put the sleeping powder you gave me in their food. The guests who arrived this evening looked like a wealthy merchant. They may be dressing down but those leather pattens fools no one". 

"How many of them?" asked the stranger at the door. 

"Four. They live in separate rooms. The one facing the streets were all taken by them". 

"Any other guests?" 

"Just them today. Business has been rough these few days", the guest house owner moaned. 

"With Vermillion looking out for their borders, it's been hard for us, huh?" 

"If only our king is a sane man who would actually care about his people, then the trade will continue and more merchants will pass through. Me and you, we don't have to be doing this". 

"I know". The stranger put down her hood, revealing her twin ponytails tied with red ribbons and shaved sides. Her glassy light green eyes gleamed with her fearlessness and a charisma that made people want to follow her. 

"So, Marnie, I hope we'll get plenty from the guests today. Go on in", said the guest house owner, stepping aside to give her room to walk in. Marnie put back her hood and climbed the creaked steps to where the guest bedrooms were. 

She slid the door open and carefully picked her steps towards the target. She saw a man, looked to be in his youth sleeping soundlessly next to the window. She snuck to his belongings and saw the pattens the owner was talking about. 

"This is as expensive as it gets", she whispered, picking one up and turning it around. It was made using a Dragonair shedded skin and it was truly a neat piece of work. 

Then she saw his bag. She opened it and saw a few sachets of gold. She took the sachets and poured some onto her palm. The weight of the coins amazed her and she wondered just how much the man was carrying. 

"Looks like we hit the right mark", she said, putting back the gold in the sachet. "If this one is rich, then the other two will also be as rich as him. We'll be eating a feast", she smirked. 

She turned around to see if there was anything else worth for the grab. Marnie saw the cloak being tied up to the window but she also saw the foot of a staff from beneath it. She walked over to it and lifted the cloak to see what's underneath. 

"A magic staff?" 

If this was a magic staff then the person in the room was definitely a magician. Magic items sold for a lot of money in the black market. It was even more precious than the gold. While she had no use for it, she could gain profit from it. 

Deciding to take it, after checking that the owner was still sleeping, she held the staff in her hand. She thought she had it but something else happened. 

The moment her hand was in contact with it, her body was unmoving. She struggled to pull her hand away while trying not to make loud noises but it was all for nothing. The owner must have thought she had left when she heard the sound of the door downstairs being locked. 

_ I botched it _ , she thought, wondering what would happen if she was discovered the next day. 

\----------

" _ Together with the new breeze….  _

_ Sleep tight…"  _

It was the first night the twins were not sleeping in Goh's chamber. Levi hadn't stopped sobbing since Goh had left and it worried Kurune. While Aria had fallen asleep from her lullaby, Levi was still searching for Goh. 

" Mummmmyyy", he called, his voice cracking from his previous wailing. 

"Levi, mummy will have to go to do some work. He'll come back when he finishes". She tapped his back lightly, bouncing him so he would feel sleepy. 

"Mumm", he whined fussily, gathering Kurune's cloth and rubbing his wet nose on her chemise. 

" _ Together with the new breeze….  _

_ Sleep tight…"  _

Levi hummed to the song he often heard singing and echoing around him. It was soothing and while he missed Goh very much, the song did the trick to lull him to sleep. As he hummed, Kurune watched Levi's whole body emitted a strange golden light. Surprised, she woke Ikuo up and the man yawned and rubbed his eyes to see what was going on. 

"Honey! Look at this!" she said in a hushed voice. 

"W-What?" asked Ikuo, struggling to keep up with her as he had just woken up. 

"Look. At. Levi!" she told him to look at the baby in her arms. Levi was still humming and getting sleepier and Ikuo clambered from his pillow to witness the magic. 

"This is…" Ikuo put his hand over the magic light. 

"It's life force Magic", he concluded. A life force magician is the rarest type of them all. Often, they were only born if the earth needs healing after an apocalyptic tragedy. While they were bringer of good news, they were also bringer of bad news. 

"Should we have him examined? By the wizards", asked Kurune. 

"Not so soon. His power is still developing and if we reveal this, the castle will be in a state of panic". 

"We'll wait until Goh comes back then", said Kurune, adding, "it would be better if he knows about it first". 

Ikuo was silent as he tried to understand what could be in store for them. It wasn't as if the world was in a state where an apocalypse will happen. Despite all the wars, none would damage the earth so much that it conditioned a magician with Levi's power to be born. 

"I'm worried. Destiny has sent to us a life magician which can only mean a disastrous thing is going to happen but what might trigger it?" 

"How can we tell for sure that he has a mission like that? It could just be a blessing", said Kurune, rubbing the back of the snoozing boy. She walked to the crib and tucked him in. 

"The few occasions in the past where a magician like this appeared, we had long droughts, diseases, floodings or natural disasters all over the world. It's recorded in our history". 

"That can just be a coincidence", said Kurune, getting in under the blanket herself. 

"One that was too great of a timing", said Ikuo, scratching his head as he recalled the details about past magicians. 

"Let's not think too much. It's night time and we're both tired", said Kurune, blowing off the candle fire. 

The light surrounding Levi was dimming out and he too was curled on the bed, sleeping with his tummy downwards.

"Mummmy", his soft whining could be heard. Already he had missed Goh.


	6. Once a Great Kingdom Ecruteak

" _ Stay with me _ " 

Underneath Goh, covering his legs was a pool black sludge. Thick and mucous substance crawled up his calf, grabbing him tightly to it. He pulled up his feet in an attempt to separate himself from it. 

" _ Stay with me"  _

"Get off!" Goh watched in horror as the black sludge was now at his knees level. He was sinking into it and he felt helpless. The voice he knew so well was repeating on and on - it filled his head and Goh clamped both sides of his head. 

" _ Stay with me".  _

"I know that but I can't. Not with you! I don't want to destroy anything you've worked so hard for". 

" _ Stay"  _

"I  **can't** , Ash!" 

" _ Stay"  _

"Don't you get it? We're both not meant for silly things like emotions," Goh was pleading - if anything, he didn't deserve it. They were both leaders of their own lands - there was too much to sacrifice for just the affair of the hearts. 

He stopped struggling when he knew it was pointless to try leaving it. He let the sludge submerged him. His vision was clouded when the sludge was creeping up to his face. 

It swallowed him whole. 

"Haaa!!" Goh sat upright, inhaling rapidly having woken up by a dream he had never had. He grabbed hold of his hair, his forehead was soaked with sweat. "Haa, why do I hurt this much?"

It was in the past. He tried to convince himself that. He had everything else that he could possibly ask for - there was nothing to mourn over from an accidental romance that bore little significance to his current life. He hadn't felt empty in the past year he had spent alone in the room with his twins. 

Why now? 

The light brushing warmth against his skin slowly took away the stress he was feeling, his breathing gradually becoming normal again. He pushed the blanket to the side and turned to grab his pattens. 

It was then when he realized something odd in the room. Holding onto his staff was a stranger, a woman to be precise, and she wasn't moving. Goh walked across the room to the stranger. 

"Binding release", he said and the woman dropped the staff she was holding. 

"I can move!" she looked at both of her hands and was quick to turn towards the door. 

"I'll leave", she nodded and was about to get out of the room when Goh stopped her with his question. 

"You were going to steal my staff, didn't you?" 

The woman clicked her tongue and turned around to meet his eyes. 

"Not at all. I was just admiring the staff, that's all", she replied, trying to play coy. Goh huffed - even if she wanted to dodge it, this magic was a trap meant to protect the staff from being taken by others. 

"The magic can only work if the person had the intention to take it away from the owner. Since you triggered it, then you must have thought about taking it". 

**Dash! Clank! Thump!** The two were stopped by the loud noises coming from the next room. The thudding of the footsteps going downstairs were distracting them and they quietly waited until it was gone before continuing with their confrontation.

"Ah… So you caught me", she said, "but hey, I haven't taken anything so we're all good". 

"Then, let me take a look inside my bag", said Goh. He counted the items inside it and had none of his belongings taken. 

"Satisfied?" The stranger looked at him smugly and made a turn again to leave the room but Goh had a deal to make. 

They needed a guide in Ecruteak. 

"What if I were to offer you two bags of gold? In exchange for hiring you as a guide", he asked, catching her attention at the mention of money. She looked at him, calculating his offer in her head. She knew how much he had in the bag and offering two bags wasn't a small amount either. 

Yet, she remembered how he was acting in his sleep yesterday. This magician had a lot of emotional scars in him and it actually made her wonder if he was sane. 

"First, I watched you moaning the whole night, talking in your sleep like a crazy man. It was torturous to just stand and listen to the crying noises you make. I don't even know if you didn't go cuckoo. Second, I have jobs to do. A more benevolent one than being your guide. The poor families need me". 

"Robbing someone isn't exactly benevolent. If you're going to play hero, why don't you do it for real?" said Goh. 

"By being your guide?" 

"By being my guide", said Goh, affirming her statement with a nod. 

"Oh, so you have something big in your mind? What? Like saving this wrecked kingdom?" 

"I'll let you know if you come with me", said Goh. 

The stranger contemplated on her option. She didn't know who this magician was but his wealth looked promising. Lately, there hadn't been a lot of big fish around here since the closure of the safe road to the capital. If she took the job, at least she'll have some gold to give . 

"Alright, I'll be your guide", she finally agreed. 

"Good. What should I address you as?" asked Goh. 

"Marnie is the name", she said, introducing herself to him. 

\---------------

Marnie had a big family to feed. They were all orphans who had lost their parents since young. When she brought Goh, Ren and Acerola along to her home to drop off food supplies, the orphans came out to greet them. 

"Welcome to Yell House!" one of the children said. They were all taken care of by a woman in her forties whom Marnie called her as "Old Hag". 

"Old hag, I brought some guests", said Marnie, bringing them in. The state of the house was nothing to brag about but it was very clean. Goh and the rest made themselves right and home and they sat on a bench in the small space for guests. 

"Please forgive my daughter", said the older woman and one of Marnie's sisters gave them warm water and salt. It didn't taste any closer to tea but the three accepted their kindness. 

"I'm going out to bring these people around Ecruteak. We're not sure how long we're going to be outside so here", she said, giving the lady half a bag of the gold coin. 

"So you won't be back for quite some time?" asked the lady. 

"Seems like it. I'll make sure to be safe", said Marnie. The lady pulled her into a hug.

"Take care of yourself". 

"Will do. You too, old hag". 

"Sister Marnie is leaving?" asked a child of six years old. 

"Yes so be good, Klaus", she told the child, "don't give old hag too much trouble while I'm away". 

She packed a few necessities such as a clean change of cloth, black fabric and dry crackers. She also brought along a knife set which she tied to her binders on her legs. 

"Alright, let's get going", she said after taking all what she needed. Klaus, the youngest in the house, came running to her. 

"Sister Marnie, please come back safely", he said, hugging her waist. 

"I can't promise you that without bringing a present for all of you", she beamed a smile at him and he nodded happily. Then, she made a visit to a few neighbours, giving them some gold coins to spend on their families. They were all thanking her for her kindness and in return, they would look after her family. 

All the time Goh was watching this, he realized that even if they were poor, they were a family. They had what others don't : true love. 

"So, big boss", Marnie asked Goh who was still admiring the villagers. 

"Hm? Big Boss?" 

"Do you want me to call you His Majesty instead?" 

Acerola wanted to tell her that would be an appropriate way to address the king but Goh stopped her. It wouldn't be in their interest if they had someone know of their identity before they even started. 

"Just Goh is alright", he told her. 

"Right. So, what's the plan, Goh?" she asked. 

"We're planning to get a Mudbray and a wagon and have it pull us to places we want to go", said Goh. 

"Where do you want to go?" asked Marnie. 

"To track down Hau". 

Marnie had heard of the name - everytime a town crier came to their village, they would announce the bounty for capturing the man. If she wasn't mistaken, his bounty sat at forty five thousand gold coins but having such a high bounty also meant that he was a dangerous man. 

"Hau, the leader of tribes in the mountains?" she asked to check that it was the right Hau. 

"Yes", said Goh. 

"That man is obstinate for his crimes. He's an even bigger criminal than me. What business do you have with him?"

"I cannot explain it to you yet but you will find out about it. Once we meet Hau", said Goh. 

"Alright, fair… But, taking a mudbray and a wagon would not be the way to go. The tribes live in the mountains where the Forest of the Spirits is and that forest will bewitch those they didn't like so you better prepare for trouble. It's bountiful but has unforgiving paths. We should take something bulky, like a Tauros to ram through the rocks. I knew a farmer in the next village where I used to work as a stable girl". 

"If you say so. Lead the way", Goh said. While Marnie was still curious of Goh's intention to meet Hau, she showed them the way to the Tauros farm. There, they bargained three of Tauros where Acerola would be riding with Ren, Marnie having her own and Goh handling one for himself. 

The farm owner mounted the Tauros saddle and when they were ready after a good brushing, Goh paid for it and hopped onto his ride. 

"All of you should be good to go now", said the farm owner, "Thanks for the business". 

"You're welcome", said Goh as they rode out, following Marnie's lead. 

\--------

Back in the Vermillion Castle, Visquez, Chrysa, Hodge, Cinderace and Interim King Ikuo were gathered at the round table, just having completed a meeting regarding the situation in Celadon. While it matters not where Yadon wanted to expand their power, they were closely monitoring the situation there. 

For now, their best bet was to make a move of their own. Growing equally powerful as Yadon would at least give them some leverage to feel secure about the alliance they had made. 

"But why Ecruteak?" asked Visquez, "the situation there does not promise us a good warfare resource". 

"That is not entirely true", said Ikuo. 

"What do you mean, His Royal Highness". 

"Before the current reign of King Morty, Ecruteak used to be one of the strongest allies we had against the Viridian Kingdom. It was after the reign of the current king that everything had fallen apart as they took Viridian's side", explained Ikuo. 

"What happened in Ecruteak?" asked Chrysa. 

Ikuo was quietened for a while. It was a long history of betrayals and power hungers but Ecruteak was once a flourishing kingdom before it became what it was now. 

"Before my reign, Ecruteak was ruled by a king called King Hala. King Hala was a just man and Ecruteak at that time, had one of the strongest cavalry in the world. When I was fifteen, I met with King Hala's son. Unlike his father, he didn't care much about the throne and so he said he wanted to go somewhere far where he wouldn't be in the shadow of his father". 

"King Hala… This name sounded familiar. Isn't he the one that brought to table the union of the four islands in Alola?" asked Visquez. He had studied on the Alola Union Agreement made when he was younger. "But what is a king doing in Alola?" 

"Before King Hala was banished from Ecruteak and later moved to Alola, the other royal families planned a coup d'etat in Ecruteak castle. They accused him of corruption and planted false evidence to validate their action. We offered to take him under our protection but we couldn't find his crown prince. At first we believed that he was dead until this", Ikuo pulled the bounty poster Goh had given him the day before he left. 

In the poster, there was a drawing of a young man with his hair tied up holding a half body sword that had a peculiar designed hilt that looked like Groudon and cross guard that had a motif like Kyogre's skin. On the sword, there seemed to be words carved into it but whether it was the same words or not, they couldn't tell for sure. 

"The sword he is holding is the lost sword of the Ecruteak's king. It is the national item for the monarchy in Ecruteak, the symbol of their king. This sword was also lost during the coup. When Goh saw this, he took a look into Ecruteak's history. He had a suspicion that Hau is Hala's grandson", said Ikuo. 

"That means King Goh is there not only to create a temporary alliance with a tribal group. He is going there to persuade Hau to take back the throne", said Visquez. 

"That is correct", said Ikuo. 

The rest of the commissioners finally understood the true objective of their king. They had never thought that this was what he had in mind all along. 

"Putting the right kind of leader will improve their military. Hau is no ordinary leader of the tribes. If not, the current king would have found him and killed him together with the tribes he leads", said Ikuo. 

They laid their bet on this. If it went well, then Vermillion would absorb another country under their umbrella to expand their power. 


	7. Letters to Celadon

Mid summer of the year after his first meeting with Frederick, Ash received three letters in Celadon, one from Frederick, one from Brock and one from Kukui who went back to Saffron to see Clemont for the reformation work discussion of Celadon. 

The taking of Celadon gave them a much advantage since it was a country that thrived on the production of military equipment. 

The company he was setting up was a result from the discussion with Clemont and Kukui on down costing the military expenses while increasing labor force employability in the Empire. As the first step to achieve the new target, they picked up a product with the most potential to penetrate the world market and has the highest number of production from the South- chain mails . 

Combining Saffron expertise as a research center and Celadon's production capacity, they created a new product - chainmail that was reinforced with Magikarp's scales and Feebas scales. 

His current business engagement with Frederick was a result from Clemont's recommendation. Frederick, a noble man from Vermillion was often invited to Yadon's party and eventhough he often missed the gatherings due to work, his court knew of the man. 

Since they first established the business ties, they had been exchanging letters to inform about any of his order changes as well as asking on possibilities to penetrate the market in the North. Thus, the letter he received was an answer to his previous enquiry. 

" _ Dear Sir Ketchum,  _

_ Hope you have been faring well in Celadon. The order batch you have asked for has been prepared, 120,000 sacks of Magikarp's scales sacks has been on their way to the Celadon's chainmail company as I wrote this. They would arrive by a fleet called HMS Butterfree.  _

_ About your last letter on a request for a business venture in the North, may I suggest that you try Ecruteak first to establish your company's product? A lot of products from the South are first introduced in Ecruteak Market due to less restriction on outside products and once it is well received, it is easier to create a business profile to the surrounding Kingdom. Let me know if you are interested. I will see through it that your document will be ready.  _

_ Regards,  _

_ FREDERICK _ ". 

The second letter was from Kukui who had left Celadon for Saffron to continue planning the reformation of the three kingdoms united under one emperor. While it was still a work in progress, Kukui would write to him from time to time to let him know that the discussion had been fruitful. Like in this letter, he wrote:

" _ Your Excellency,  _

_ I am writing to you briefly to inform you that Advisor Clemont had prepared the necessary work documents to outline the governing standard to be followed by Saffron, Yadon and Celadon. With the groundwork has been laid out, I will return as soon as possible to Celadon.  _

_ Your Excellency, I would also want to tell you that Clemont had drafted a strategy to take up North. Instead of stopping at GoldRoad , he suggested that we extend further around Ecruteak before we entered the Viridian Territory.  _

_ I would advise that a number of spies be deployed in Ecruteak to keep up with the political development before we expand our regime there.  _

_ Regards,  _

_ HIGH GENERAL KUKUI".  _

It seemed that Kukui had an idea how to solve the issue with Vermillion without damaging their relationship. He put it aside for the time being while reading the last letter from Brock, a report of their current work in Vermillion and the kind of support they are giving. It was sent to him every month for review and there was usually information about King Goh's activities in it. If he were to admit it to himself, Brock's letter was the one he looked forward to the most. 

_ "Your Excellency,  _

_ This is a report of the situation in Vermillion. Our military units are being utilized to support the security surrounding the Vermillion Border. There has been a political shift at the moment in Vermillion where King Goh will be replaced temporarily with the interim king, King Ikuo. However, I do believe that it poses no threat to our Alliance.  _

_ I have been informed that the King will be heading towards Ecruteak but I have no clear view of the intention behind it. _

_ Regards,  _

_ HIGH OFFICER GENERAL BROCK _ ". 

Ash carefully thought about the things he should write back to them. The fact that all of them were pointing him towards Ecruteak, he wondered if this was his calling. He held back from writing an immediate reply, something he rarely did. 

He might have to think about it carefully. 

\------------

Staying awake in the middle of the night was not his thing, Ash noted but it had been two days and he had not written replies for the letters sent to him. Now, he had kept them all inside a drawer but sooner or later, he would have to come to a decision on how to get back to them. 

"Hmm… " he tried to come out with something that would work for all of them. It had been months since he had stayed on Celadon and the bed, while cosy was empty. 

There was only Pikachu by his side but he knew what was missing. 

He would love to talk to someone right about now. He shifted uneasily around until he was forced to get up and let himself paced around the room. 

"I'm sleepy…" he whined but the fact remained that he wasn't able to sleep through his whirling thoughts. 

His hunch told him that he should be using this opportunity but his mind didn't know how. It was such a strong urge that he couldn't dismiss it. He flicked his fingers a couple of times, trying to turn the ideas in the letters into something. 

When it was getting closer to morning, and he had had enough of restless nights, the emperor grabbed the only other thing that could talk besides him - his sword. It might look crazy to others but who cares when he was this sleep deprived. 

"Leon", he tapped it, trying to get the spectre's attention. "Leeonnnnn!!!" 

He jumped when Leon appeared next to him out of thin air. 

"How can I be of your assistance?" asked Leon. 

"Right, now I know I can talk to you anytime I want", said Ash. 

"Is that all?" 

"No, I need your advice. Would you kindly help me figure out a problem of mine?" 

"If it would help, I'd be happy to give a few pointers". 

"You see, I received three letters from different people. One talks about a business opportunity in Ecruteak. The other talks about sending spies to ecruteak for warring reasons and the last one talked about the Vermillion King heading towards Ecruteak. Now, for days, I cannot sleep thinking about this. I have a feeling I could be doing something with this but I just can't think of anything". 

"Which of these are the most important to you?" asked Leon. 

"All of them?" answered Ash with a question for himself. 

"Then, mix your objectives together. Obviously you have something to settle with the Vermillion King while also carrying out your duties", said Leon. 

"What do you mean?" 

"For example, you can be heading to Ecruteak on a supposed personal business trip, while going there to spy on Ecruteak and at the same time, on a lookout for the man in question. It is just an example… you don't-" He was stunned when Ash wagged his finger back and forth. 

"Brilliant! I like the idea but…. I shouldn't tell anyone about it. Maybe I should tell Clemont that I would be taking a few months off from work. And tell Frederick that I would like to explore the market there and tell Brock to continue keeping an eye on Vermillion and thank him for his detailed reports as always". 

"I said that it was just an example…" Leon sighed when Ash had already pulled the writing tools from his desk. 

\---------

A week before Goh left for Ecruteak…

Fire Palace, a palace in Saffron Kingdom was a palace that showered the sun with its glow. When the light hit the marble, it shone at the top of the hill, a sight to behold for the citizens of Saffron capital. It shone like a piece of diamond: it's three guardians, Suicune, Raikou and Entei were carved out as huge statues and were placed to surround the castle. 

Princess Serena, Princess Dawn and Princess Iris had taken residence at the palace after the fire that destroyed Yadon's palace. It had been more than a year since the incident and a lot had happened since then. 

Right after the incident, Ash had gathered everyone in the harem and had given them a choice. If they wanted to follow him, then they were welcomed to stay but if they decided to go back to their kingdom, he would let them go. 

In the end, only Iris, Dawn and Serena stayed around. They knew Ash wouldn't feel the same towards them as he was towards Gou but he needed an anchor to keep moving on and they were there to support him. 

Along with the fire, the old council was also dismissed. In the new government he was structuring, he filtered through the list submitted to him to find the best candidate he could hire. 

After the restructuring, they could also see more women joining government offices. It was the biggest change that had happened in Yadon history. 

Serena and Dawn were given the role to manage consulates abroad while Iris was given the role to manage the supplies in the palace. 

Today was a Sunday and it was an off day for the government workers. Bella, Kayla and Cherry were in the tearoom with their mothers, playing house with each other like good siblings they were. 

While their mothers were chatting away over tea, talking about the colleagues in their offices and sharing some comedic situations they had been in. While they were giggling to the stories they shared, the door creaking opened made them stop talking and all eyes were on it. 

In between the gaps, Ash was looking inside the room and when the baby princesses saw him, they stood up and ran towards him. 

"Papa!!!" they gripped onto his trousers and Bella asked to be carried. 

"Heave ho", Ash picked her up and used the other hand to pat Cherry and Kayla's hair. 

"Your excellency, we didn't know you are coming back today", said Iris. Dawn and Serena both stood up after her and they bowed at him with respect. 

"No, I told mum not to say anything. I want to surprise everyone", he said. After months carrying out his Emperor duty in Celadon, he was finally able to take three months of break. He made a quick arrangement to leave everything to Clemont to take care of his assignments. 

Two days from now, he would be on his way to Ecruteak with Frederick. With all the paperwork taken care of, he just needed to be ready at the appointed place by using a Corviknight. Frederick owned one and he told him in his letter that he often travelled with it since it was faster than a fleet. 

It would only take them three days to reach Ecruteak compared to a month long ride on a fleet. Now, he could've used Yadon's own flight ride pokemon but it required registration to enter Ecruteak and Ash wanted to leave as little trace mark as he could. The border crossing pass he received from Frederick registered him as a merchant accompanying his host. 

While preparing for his journey there, he also tried to educate himself about relationships and how he can make it work. He bought an advisory book, more like asked the eunuch to make the purchase for him and completed the reading a few times until he had it all down to the tee. Just in case that he would forget, he tore the most essential page to bring it with him. 

In actuality, he didn't know how long the trip would be but he was really hoping that he would run into Goh there. There was so much to say to the other that he wasn't sure how it would end up looking like when they meet face to face. Before the long trip, he wanted to spend time with his daughters. For months he was in Celadon, there were a few occasions when he thought about his children. He really missed them greatly. 

"Mama, I'll play with papa!" said Kayla. 

"Me too!" said Cherry. 

"Thwee", Bella said, earning giggles from the mothers. 

They were all crowding around Ash. Their mothers let them have time with their father. 

"Alright, have fun, the three of you!" said Dawn. Iris and Serena waved at them. They'll catch up with Ash at dinnertime but for now, it would be just father and daughters quality time. 

"Miss you all", said Ash from the door and he disappeared soon, bringing along the children with him. The small petting zoo he made for them would be where they would be having their date. 


	8. The convergence

After three days of travelling to Ecruteak, Ash finally arrived at Ecruteak's border with Frederick together with Pikachu. It was easy to enter Ecruteak, they looked at his document and let him pass through after looking at it since Frederick often made business trips to the kingdom. 

Most of the soldiers there looked unmotivated to even carry out their day job. If this was his border, Brendan and Rosa would be knocking them into shape. Some of them were even talking to each other, holding up the queue on their sides with their conversations. 

Once he was inside Ecruteak, he told Frederick that he would manage his entire trip in Ecruteak. He gave the merchant an excuse that he had some personal business there and thanked Frederick for bringing him all the way there. Frederick bought Ash a Galarian Rapidash from a merchant passing by them who had a few Rapidashes to be sold in the capital and told him it was a pleasure to do business with him. 

He thanked the merchant again and rode the galloping Rapidash to a nearby village with Pikachu sitting on the head of the Rapidash. There he found a guest house among the red light brothels and tied the Rapidash to the post. He went inside the inn and requested for a room to stay. 

He stayed there for two days while spending time to study the map he had copied from the encyclopedia of the kingdoms' landscapes to plan out his journey. On the two days he was at the inn, sweet potatoes became a staple for dinner and while the food was not as fancy as the palace spread, the taste of the potatoes were quite sweet. 

As usual, he fell asleep with Pikachu on his stomach and didn't wake up until he heard voices from the next room the next morning. The wall was paper thin and he could hear their argument clearly. 

"You were going to steal my staff, didn't you?" 

"Not at all. I was just admiring the staff, that's all". 

At the mention of staff, he wondered which poor magician had become the target of a robber. He poked a hole in the paper wall and sneaked a peek to quench his curiosity and he was in a state of disbelief after seeing the next door guest. 

There, in the room, was unmistakably a man who resembled the princess and the boy in his dream… or in other words, it could be King Goh himself. 

Ash immediately packed up his belongings rather ungracefully in his panic and went downstairs in a hurry, carrying Pikachu in his arms and paid the bill to the owner. He untied the Rapidash from the post, mounted it and hid themselves beside the barn next to the guest house. A confused Pikachu looked at Ash sleepily, wondering what was going on. 

He waited and waited until four people emerged from the guest house. When they moved, he followed them quietly while leading the Rapidash as he walked behind them away from the group. He used it as a wall to hide himself from the man. 

"I really feel like a stalker, buddy but I need to find out if that is him. He sure looks like the boy in my dream", he expressed himself to Pikachu who in return side eyed him, not understanding why they were following the group from afar. 

He could've revealed himself there but even in his mind, he could imagine the man's reaction if he were to barge into the room. If he got it wrong, he could be pegged as crazy. "But if I were to just shock the life out of him, he would most probably try to evade me". 

"Pika".(I don't understand what's going on but whatever). 

Three days of tailing the group, they finally arrived at the foot of mountainous range. Pikachu and Ash looked at the gruelling height - this mountain area had some of the highest peaks he had seen. From behind the thicket they were hiding, he watched the small group enter the forest. 

"I wonder if we're going to be alright but here goes nothing", said Ash, signalling his Rapidash to follow the trail. 

"Pika". (Me too). 

\------------

After three days of riding the Tauros, Marnie, Goh, Ren and Acerola arrived at the foot of the mountain ranges where the tribes lived. Goh looked up and saw the apex piercing the sky. Some of them were even shrouded with patches of clouds. Its base became the foundation of a lush forest that promised them a thorny path.

"This is it. The Forest of the Spirits", said Marnie. The Tauros they were riding were becoming somewhat restless at the looming presence of the mountains. Goh sensed a large amount of magical energy weeping out from the forest. When Marnie warned them about enchantment, he never thought that it meant high viscosity of magic. 

"Since this is a forest, it will house a lot of dangerous spirits", said Acerola. 

"I think we are going to be tested once we step inside the forest", said Goh. "Enchanted forests never let just anyone enter inside it". 

"What kind of test?" asked Marnie. 

"The kind that will hurt you the most. It will prey on your weakness and if you're not strong enough, it will feed off your fear and kill you", explained Ren. 

Goh wondered if he was going to get through it. A few nights before, he had opened a wound he never thought existed in him and with that kind of weakness, he knew it would be targeted by the spirits inside the forest. 

There was no turning back because this was the only way to reach Hau. With an iron resolve, he told his Tauros to move forward. 

"We don't really have a choice. This is our only way to the tribes", said Goh. 

They went into the thicket and right at the moment they entered the forest, a cold green mist clung to their skin and as they entered deeper into the forest, it thickened into a dense fog. 

In the thick fog, Goh lost the others and his Tauros was aimlessly trodding in the forest. "I think I'm being tested now", said Goh to himself. 

Goh saw a red light blinking in the fog. He followed it but when something hard dropped onto the ground, it startled the Tauros that he was thrown off it. The Tauros ran into the fog before Goh could calm it. 

"Wait!" he shouted at it but it disappeared, leaving him alone in the forest. This was the worst situation that could happen to him and being left there alone meant that his test was just getting started. 

"You have entered our realm with a weak heart.  **Weak heart** .  _ Weak heart _ ", a mix of voices boomed from between the trees, scaring the bird pokemons as they took flight from it. Goh knew that the voices belonged to the spirits that roamed the forest. 

"I only come to look for the grandson of King Hala", said Goh, answering the voices. 

"Weak hearted ones shall not pass through this forest.  **Shall not pass** .  _ Shall not pass _ ". 

"I will make my own destiny and I will walk through this forest to where I want to be!" 

"Is this the  _ place _ where you  **want** to be?" 

Goh bit his lips - the place he wanted to be was not something he could obtain with his own two hands no matter how hard he tried. 

" _ Humans _ are such  **liars** !" the voices cackled. 

"I am. I am one". Goh sighed sadly. It was the truth. His lies were what got him into this mess. Even the forest was calling it out. His heart was weak. He should've waited longer before he was ready to make the crossing. 

He didn't know how long he was forced to listen to the voices telling him all about his weakness. He just sat there on the floor, feeling like he should just give it all up and rested within the forest. 

" **Weak hearted** humans shall  _ sleep _ ,  **sleep** , and hide in our roots". 

" _ Slowly _ ,  **slowly** , the liars  **disappear** . No one will know where they are". 

" _ No one _ will know what their  **guilts** are". 

The words sounded strangely melodic, full of malice but gentle at the same time. Goh closed his eyes and let it overwhelm his hearing. 

They had only spoken the truth about him, nothing in there he could deny. His eyes were shut as he felt a sensation of craggy surface coiling itself around him and pulling him into the ground. 

That was where he would hide forever. He was about to let himself sleep within the roots when his wrist was tugged harshly upwards. He was pulled out from the soil and he felt the earth slipped off his clothes. 

"Are you an idiot?!" a voice that sounded like the one he had in his memory spoke. 

Goh opened his eyes and couldn't believe what he was seeing. 

_ There's no way in a million… Ash?  _

\--------

The forest was eerie when Ash entered it. The Rapidash he was riding was also carefully trotting the ground and Pikachu was on high alert as it scanned through the area surrounding them. There were a few murkrows flying at the sight of them, leaving their nests and cawing like it was bringing dark omen. It brought shivers through their spine. 

When mist started to form around them, Ash felt his sword shook, adding more uneasiness to his piling anxiety. Then, Leon apparated in front of him as a spectre, giving Ash the shock of his life as he tugged the leash too fast, transferring the shock to his Rapidash who started to jump on its hooves nervously. 

"Did I startle you?" asked Leon as he watched his master trying to take control of his Rapidash. 

"Very much. Easy there boy. It's just a friendly specter ", he tried to calm the Rapidash from its nervousness. The Rapidash nickered, blowing through its nose and after a few minutes, stopped trampling the ground. 

Leon looked around - they were in a forest and the magical energy around them was impenetrable. He sensed the malicious intent surrounding them - the forest didn't welcome an aura user. 

"Use your aura cloak. Use it on the pokemons too. They don't welcome us here", said Leon.

"How do I do that?" 

"Imagine that you are giving a mantle to your pokemons. It will help you draft out the aura".

Ash made a mental image of a cloak. He couldn't see it but he could feel the weight in his hand. He put a hand on Pikachu and imagined putting the mantle on them. Once he was done, a strange mark appeared on Pikachu's back. He does it for Rapidash after Pikachu. 

Then, he focused the aura cloak on himself. Since it was a thin cloak, the colour did not bleed into his clothes.

"Why do they want to harm us?" asked Ash, wanting to know some explanation to Leon's claim. 

"The nature of Magic and Aura are the opposites of each other. Magic is light and Aura is darkness. To them, we are the malicious ones. If you put the aura cloak around you, it will repel their attempts to attack us because magic energy will be consumed by the dark nature of aura", said Leon. 

The explanation went through Ash's head as he couldn't comprehend what Leon was telling him. "Sounds complicated", he said, scratching the back of his head. 

"You're not a very attentive student, are you?" Leon asked. 

"Don't you worry. You're not the first one to tell me that". 

The Rapidash stopped when a shadow of Tauros was walking towards them. Pikachu's ears perked up at the sound of the approaching Tauros. It was too late to hide, Ash noted, as the Tauros was carrying Goh who was looking at them directly but he showed no reaction at seeing them. 

It made a small pang in his chest. 

"Is he going to pretend like he doesn't know me?" he asked. 

"Hm… No, he is under the forest spell", said Leon, correcting Ash's assumption. 

"The forest spell?" 

"This is an enchanted forest. The magic here is thick but wicked and he is most likely under its influence". 

"So, it's not because he didn't recognize me? Then I still have a chance".

"A chance of what?" 

"To correct what's wrong with our relationship". 

"It's the least of the problem right now, don't you think?" 

"It's most of my problem. I have to make my beloved understand so we can figure out a way together not to kill my daughter using you and live a happy life. He is book smart and I am battle smart. We can work together well. I just need him to stop hiding himself. If this is him and this is my chance to make it work again, then I will take it". 

"...."

"I'm going to follow him", said Ash, tugging the leash of his Rapidash to follow the Tauros. After following it for a few minutes, a branch snapped and fell onto the ground, shocking the Tauros and Ash's Rapidash. Ash tried to gain control again as his ride pokemon went out of control, rubbing its neck to sooth it. 

While he was occupied with the Rapidash, Goh was already being controlled by the forest. When the Rapidash finally came to a stop, he was horrified to see that Goh was already swallowed by the roots and earth of the forest. Dismounting the Rapidash and telling Pikachu to keep it calm, he used his sword to cut the roots and grabbed hold of Goh's wrist, hoisting him out of the earth. 

"Are you an idiot?" he snapped. 

It was obvious that Goh recognized his voice with the way he was looking at Ash and it reassured him. 

It had been a while since he last saw the same blue eyes he had fallen in love with. 

_ I think I can win this,  _ thought Ash. 

Love is after all a war. 


	9. Your Playing Field

Overconfidence could sometimes lead to self deprecation but in Ash's term, being overconfident gave him a definite goal he wanted to achieve. Right now, he was staring right at his goal who was trying to figure out if he was real or an illusion. 

Ash sat down on the boulder at the side of a waterfall while looking at Goh who had decided to jump into the pool and hid himself there. Leon was admiring the scenery and Pikachu and Rapidash were splashing the water at each other, having a lot of fun since it was rare for them to run into such crystal clear water. 

"Isn't it cold?" Ash muttered, propping his chin as he watched the other resurfacing to take a breath and dove back in once he had done that. At his side was Goh's bag and staff he had picked up from the ground when Goh was in a rush to leave them. After half an hour of contemplating in the numbing cold water, Goh swam towards the banks.

He looked as if he had come to a conclusion to his current dilemma. "Who are you?" he asked Ash but Ash knew that Goh knew who he was. Not after the slight recognition he saw in Goh's eyes a few moments ago. 

Ash sighed.  _ Sure. Let's play pretend.  _

"I'm Satoshi and you are?" he asked back after cooking up an alias he could use. It was Goh's turn to be confused. 

"S-Satoshi huh? You look like someone I know". 

"Really? Do we look  **too** alike to each other?" 

"Your resemblance is uncanny. What do you do for a living?" said Goh.

"I'm a merchant". 

"Where are you from?" 

"Not around here, that's for sure". 

"Specific place?" 

"I live in Saffron at the moment. Anything else?" 

"Saffron huh… A bit far in the South. So what are you doing in the forest up North?" 

"For business purposes but on my journey, I encountered your group and before I knew it, I was following from behind. A black haired beauty caught my attention and I couldn't let the opportunity pass and ended up in this forest", said Ash, grinning satisfyingly when Goh's face was donned with red hue. 

"Y-You mean Marnie? She is our guide and you're right, she is beautiful". 

"I was talking about someone else but who knows? Maybe the person didn't want to take the compliment for themselves", said Ash. He chuckled when Goh's face flushed from his statement because he knew he was the only other black haired person in the party. 

"I have to admit. You have ways with words", Leon said from above him. He was just standing in the air, overseeing the area that they were in. 

"Well, what should I call you? You haven't really answered my question," Ash asked. If he was going to play pretend, he might as well acted as if he didn't know Goh. 

"You can call me Goh. I'm from Vermillion. I'm here to do a bit of tasks". 

_ Nailed it.  _ Ash smirked. 

"It settled then. I should accompany you until you're done with your assignment here". 

"W-What?" asked Goh at the sudden suggestion. 

"Let me join your group. One, I don't know the way out of this forest and two, you can use another ride since you lost yours", Ash offered his help to Goh. "I'll be useful, I promise". 

"How can you be useful?" asked Goh. 

"Well, one, I am a strong fighter. Been in wars for years before becoming a merchant so I can attest for my skill". 

"I guess you may", said Goh, finding no strong reason to decline the offer. Then he looked at the two pokemons that were playing in the water. 

"You know, the person I know also has a Pikachu. Not the Rapidash though". 

"It-It's a common pokemon in Saffron!" 

They waited until Goh's clothes were drier. "Let's find my friends",said Goh, picking up his bag and staff. 

"Do you, eh, want to use the Rapidash?" asked Ash. 

"No, it's your ride. I'll manage". 

"Then I'll walk too", said Ash, looping the leash around his palm. He followed Goh into the forest with Pikachu sitting on the ride. 

\---------

During the walk to find the rest of the group, Goh's wheels of thoughts were turning like overworked cogs that he felt his head steaming. No matter how he sees it, no matter how much he turned to sneak a peek, he was entirely sure that he was looking right at his  **_ex-husband_ ** . 

_ Hold on, technically I have not officiated any divorce with Ash so that means I am very much married… This is troublesome.  _

The issue lied in the introduction. Goh couldn't use any of the information to verify that this man is certainly the king of Yadon. He thought that by pretending that he didn't know Ash, the man himself would introduce his background as the king of Yadon but now that he told Goh that his name was Satoshi, from Saffron and a merchant, he couldn't possibly asked him if he was not from Yadon, a king and his name could be Ash because that would sell Goh out. 

Then, he had an idea. "Um… Can I ask you something?" 

Satoshi or Ash arched an eyebrow but nodded. 

"Do you happen to have any siblings in Yadon? Big names…"

"No, I'm the only child for my parents", said Ash (Goh was sure of this) . 

"Ah… I - I see". 

"Is there someone in Yadon that I should know of?" 

"No one that you should know of. Wh-What brings you to Ecruteak?" 

"Besides my business trip, I'm also searching for a lost person". 

"Your relative?" 

"My wife. Had two kids. A girl and a boy. You see, I would like to make up to my wife if I have done anything wrong. It's been lonely being alone". 

"Sounds familiar", Goh laughed anxiously. "But would she be okay with you chasing after another person since you said you were following someone in our group?" 

"Hm, I wonder about that but hey, I had been lonely in the past year. Can you blame me?"

For some reason, the reply irritated him. "That's not how this works!" Goh was argumentative and he puffed his cheeks as he walked ahead of Ash. 

"Pika?" (Why is he mad? Did he say something wrong?) 

Rapidash neighed. "Dashhh". (It certainly roused suspicion)

Pikachu was even more confused when Ash was grinning ear to ear. "Well, well. Would you look at that? It's much more fun teasing him when it's the real deal". 

Ash caught up with Goh and began to pester him. "Hey, why are you mad? Did I say something wrong?" 

"It's none of your business", Goh turned away from him. 

"But if you're this mad, it should be something that I said wrong. What was it?" 

Goh voiced out his opinion almost quietly. "You're too flimsy". 

"It's just a phrase. I'm actually pretty loyal". 

"Right", Goh rolled his eyes.  _ Whatever you say…  _

They were walking deeper into the forest when they heard sobbing sounds. Goh followed the voices, pushing the ferns and twigs away from his sights. After sometimes, the two found Ren who was sobbing on the ground, curled like a fetus. Next to him was Marnie who was sitting in a depressed position but was fighting back the voices in the forest. 

Acerola barely managed to keep herself sane by blocking the voices out with her hands. Ash kneeled on their sides and cloaked them with Aura power. While he couldn't do it for Goh since he would notice it immediately, he used it on his subordinates instead to help them maintain their sanity. 

For now, he would just protect Goh by himself without the use of Aura. When the others snapped out of the illusion, they looked at the two in awe. All of them had a questioning look - the stranger with Goh had used onto them a type of ability to help them dispel the enchantment magic. 

Keen about him, they asked. "Who are you?" 

\----------

Slap! Ash slammed his palm against his skin trying to squash the growing nuisance of the mosquitoes. Acerola and Ren were stacking dry dead branches while Goh was sitting on a dead trunk, all covered in a wool blanket. It was night time and they had decided to take a rest before continuing their journey up the mountain the next day. 

Early on, the young emperor had introduced himself to the group as Satoshi and he explained to them the story of how he had with valor rescued Goh from trouble before coming to help the rest of them. When he was inquired about the ability he had used to tune out the voices, he just told them he was gifted with it since birth. 

Pikachu zapped the wood stack to create sparks and it burnt them. All of them encircled around it, taking in the warmth with much relief. They ate some fruits they had gathered before the night faded in. 

"What did you guys see when you heard the voices?" asked Ren.

"My family. Long story short, they died tragically. I was from a noble family but things happened when I was younger that I would rather not talk much about it", said Marnie. 

"I saw my Magnemite dying. It terrified me", said Ren. 

"You have a magnemite?" asked Marnie. 

"Yes, back at home".

"That's sweet. I used to have a pokemon when I was little. It was a Morpeko". 

"What about you, Acerola?" 

"I was trying to concentrate to block it out so it couldn't get to my weakness", said Acerola. 

"Lucky you", said Ren, "I wasn't so strong". 

Ren turned to ask Goh but the young king glared dagger at him that he'd decided to skip over the conversation. Meanwhile, Ash was already yawning and given that he only had a woolen cloak to keep him out of the cold, he just wrapped himself with it and Pikachu slipped underneath the fabric to join him. 

The rest of the party who sat around the fire continued to chat until midnight when they felt sleepy enough to call it a day. Goh picked the driest place he could find and lied down on it. It was shivering cold, the temperature in the mountain and while he could perform magic to make it manageable, the forest was actually taking some of his magic away and he would like to be mindful of his magic usage. They wouldn't know what kind of creatures they would encounter in the forest. For now, he would use the wool blanket as cover. 

Later that night, Ash was awakened from his sleep by the sound of a twig snapping. He roused from the ground, Pikachu was on its feet as it sensed a presence nearby. Ash lifted his sword, gripping tight on the handle and he saw that Goh wasn't in the place he was sleeping. He kneeled down and saw a strange footstep, pin like on the ground. The footstep trail continued until a cave and he ordered Pikachu to use discharge to light up the path inside it. 

He saw a few bugs scattering away from the light - the creatures that resided were afraid of light. Ash carefully entered the cave area, watching his steps for any traps. He saw a few human bones, wands and staff being scattered around - the cave smelled of rotten flesh and he had to pinch his nose to block it away. 

The stench was strong, bringing out chesty coughs at the gas filling the surrounding. When he arrived at a dome space where the stench was the strongest, he saw a spider-like creature spinning white threads around a cocoon that was hanging from the cave ceiling.

"What is it doing?" he asked and Leon chose that moment to materialize. 

"That is a night spider spirit. When it sees a prey with condensed magic, it will prick them with strong sleep inducing poison and store them away for future consumption. I believe the one it is working hard on is your companion, Goh". 

Upon hearing Goh's name, Ash drew out his sword and cloaked it with his aura. The spider, sensing the darkness coming at him, leapt away from the cocoon. It spewed strings of white threads to attack but Ash slashed them and the string disintegrated to particles. 

The spider spirit recognized that it won't be able to fight on its own and scurried away into the shadow. When it left, Ash cut the string tying the cocoon to the ceiling and removed them from Goh. 

"It seems the forest is trying to harm him. It certainly lives up to its name as enchanted forest", said Leon, getting a closer inspection on Goh. He looked a little paler than before. 

"What do you mean?"

"Just now, we saw a number of skeletons on the cave floor but do you notice something else?" 

"Wands and staff ?" asked Ash back. It was the only other things he saw. 

"This forest eats magic and so magicians are a good resource for them".

"What should I do?" 

"Use your aura cloak on him just like how you use it on the others. It will repel the magical spirits".

"What if he notices?" 

"Better than being eaten alive", said Leon. 

"You're right". 

Ash stopped fighting the notion and veiled the cloak onto Goh. "This should be enough. How long would the poison last?" said Ash. 

"In a few hours, it should be gone". 

He lifted the sleeping adult man with ease and carried Goh to where the group was. That night, Ash kept guard or tried to but when morning came, he was already nodding off next to the Vermillion King, cradling Goh's head on his thigh. 

When Goh woke up the next day, he felt slightly more energized but then he noticed that he had been cosily using Ash as his pillow. Ash was bent forward, his sleeping face filled in Goh's vision. Out of embarrassment, he sat up quickly, causing his head to clash with Ash's forehead. The pain jolted Ash from his sleep and he rubbed the pained part. 

"I'm sorry!" apologized Goh. 

"It's fine. I have an iron forehead", said Ash, trying to sound cool even though he was clearly hurting. 

"But it must hurt", said Goh, concern gleamed in his eyes. It made Ash want to act out his pain and that he did. 

"Ouch, I think this part might be swollen", said Ash, tapping at the part above his left brow. 

"Here?" Goh came closer to check where the swell was. "I don't see anything like a swell". 

"You can see it if you come closer". 

Goh squinted his eyes trying to find the swollen part. While Goh was too busy checking, he used one foot to knock Goh off balance and the other, his eyes widened, fell into his embrace.

"You did it on purpose!" Goh clenched his teeth and elbowed Ash in the stomach. 

"Oooff, that hurts!" Ash coughed when the air was knocked out of him. "I swear, it was an accident!" 

"You nudged my feet!" Goh pummelled him one more time before clambering away. Ash cradled his hurting stomach while Pikachu shook its head. 

"Pika". (He asked for it). 


	10. Spirits in the Forest

Later that day, the group encountered another unexpected trouble - gnomes. A more appropriate description of the gnomes would be that they were all man eating gnomes. Acerola managed to disable some from moving, tying them with threads while Ren was running away from a small group of gnomes chasing after him, teleporting himself onto a tree and remained there for the rest of the fight. 

Marnie was bashing their teeths with a small branch she found near a bush. She noticed that the gnomes could never really harm her - when they were only centimeters away from her, the gnome's skin was burning and the little disruptive being ran away from her while screeching in pain. Pikachu and Rapidash helped to kick off some of the pestering gnomes from getting to Marnie. 

The weird thing is, they only went after humans. The pokemons were left alone - the tauroses were eating like nothing had been bothering them. 

Meanwhile, both Ash and Goh were having a face off against the gnome leader that was the size of a giant. 

"Stand behind me!" said Ash. 

"Huh? I can handle him myself", argued Goh. 

When the gnome lifted its hand to strike the two like a man striking a fly, Ash countered the hand with his sword. 

"I told you to get behind me!" 

"And I told you that I don't need your protection!" 

Ash gritted his teeth - man was Goh being so stubborn at a time like this! Goh saw a gem embedded in the chest of the gnome. He chanted a spell and targeted his attack on it but the gem absorbed his magic instead. He was silent for a while. Something about this forest wasn't right. 

"This forest… I know it's been taking my magic but it shouldn't be able to stop a magic attack as well… " 

Ash leapt at him and lifted Goh over his shoulder when the giant gnome was targeting its strike on Goh. It chased after them at a speed of light and Ash tried his best to outrun it while carrying a fully grown adult man. 

"Put me down!" Goh struggled. 

"Now is  **not** the time for you to be coy!" said Ash and ignored Goh's requests until they found a ditch to hide in. 

Outside of the ditch, Leon was watching the gnome searching for them. 

"You should give him a thicker layer of the aura cloak. What you gave last night isn't enough to hide his presence", said Leon. 

Ash grabbed Goh's hand and drafted out a bit more of his aura. Meanwhile, Goh felt a strange energy engulfing his body. 

"What are you doing?" asked Goh. 

"Giving you some protection". 

"... I'm not a damsel in distress", said Goh. 

"Got it but that doesn't mean I shouldn't help you".

In reality, he was actually  _ super _ happy saving his  _ princess _ but he kept it a secret to himself because it didn't take long for him to realize that Goh didn't like his manliness to be challenged. Despite going through the last two years, this love of his life was very prideful. 

"It's coming this way", Leon notified Ash. 

"We need a plan to take it down", said Ash, following the giant gnome with his eyes. 

"I have an idea. I can support you by boosting your speed to outpace it but you need to shatter the gem on its body. I feel like our only chance is your sword", said Goh. 

"Do your stuff", said Ash. 

Goh pointed the staff at Ash and chanted a spell. Ash felt his body becoming enriched with power and he gripped on the sword's handle. When the giant gnome walked past them again, Ash jumped out of the ditch and went straight for the gem. His speed was astounding and he aimed the sword at the gem. 

It pierced through it and the gem shattered to smaller pieces before disappearing into thin air. 

"I know we will make a great team", said Ash to himself. When the giant gnome was immobilised, so was the rest of the tiny ones. 

Ren could finally come down from the tree and Acerola sighed in relief when they stopped moving. Marnie poked them with the branch and watched them fall one by one like dominoes. 

"Hah, the gnome war is over", said Acerola. She wondered if it would get more dangerous as they went further into the mountain. 

A mystery remained. Just what is the Forest of the Spirits and how did the tribes survive living in it? 

\----------

In the Forest of the Spirits, in its mountainous area, lived seven tribes that were united under one leader, Hau. He was young but he wasn't a man to be messed with. With his decidueye, he ruled the mountain that even the spirits weren't able to touch him. 

The tribes were made up of people who had inherited the aura power. Their power was strong enough that they were able to utilize it in their hunts in the forest and battles against the common cavalry of Ecruteak. For a long time, they had been left alone in the mountain, undisturbed by the civilization surrounding it. 

Hau was an obstinate criminal in the capital. With the sword he inherited from his father, he had several times taken down some nobles that had done their tribe people wrong, paying it an eye with an eye. Despite the bounty, he wasn't scared to move around the capital from time to time. 

It was like a hobby and from this hobby , he found love in a nobleman whom he had seen one time in his wander. It was a brief encounter but it was the only encounter he needed in his life. 

"He has such beautiful blond hair and he is stylish. Did I mention stylish?" said Hau, gripping onto his pillow as he recalled back the meeting a few years ago to his decidueye. 

"Dec". (I lost count how many times you've repeated the story). 

"Ahhh… I wish I could talk to him!" 

"Deci". (I'm embarrassed for you) 

"He has these sharp eyes that stare into your soul and he wears black with ruffles around his neck. The style he has is amazing". 

He was indulging himself in a daydream of a proposal to the nobleman when a tribe man walked into his man cave (a literal cave) to report the weekly update of the forest activities to him. The man was shuffling his feet when he tossed the pillow to the side and turned to face the other. 

"Um, tribe leader. I'm here to report the lookout and also a few words from the shaman ", said his tribe man. 

"How is the forest this week?" 

"There's been strange activities of the forest creatures". 

"Strange activities?" 

The man cleared his throat and said, "The spider spirits are ascending higher in a bigger group and the gnomes, they are waking up from their slumber". 

Spider spirit was a lower tier spirit that never slept and often, they would hunt alone. It raised the alarm but the situation with the Gnomes was more worrying. Gnomes were mid tier spirits and they had been sleeping for so long that the tribe's shaman predicted that another two thousand years of slumber was possible. For them to be awake before that, something must have lured them out. 

"They're awake? Shouldn't they be sleeping for another two thousand years?" 

"The shaman believes this is caused by a honey pot". 

A honey pot was the term they used for an extremely gifted magician. The nature of the Forest of the Spirit was it would feed on magicians that entered it and stayed off aura users. A normal magician would usually lose their way in the forest and the forest would be their grave even before they go deeper into it. A higher order magician would be able to travel a certain distance before rousing lower ranking spirits to take their life but a honeypot could trigger the unwanted.

"The shaman told me that we need to apprehend the honeypot quickly to perform the Veil of the Night ritual before they cause the higher tier spirits to wake up and… Groudon". 

"Tell him that I will personally see to this", said Hau. The tribe man gave him the respect salute and left his cave. 

"Decidueye, seems like my dream lover needs to wait", Hau said and he and Decidueye left the cave to find the honeypot. 

\-------

Millions of stars scattered skywards in the blackness of the night. They've arrived in a grassland, open air and roofed by the sky, much like the meadow surrounding Vermillion's castle or the field in Kukui's backyard. The breeze slipped through the bristles carrying the coldness with it. The party members began to yawn except for one, Goh, who had fallen asleep behind Ash. 

They had had a hectic day. First, it was the gnomes. That fight was brutal and they thought it would end there but the spider spirits from the night before reappeared, bringing a troop of eight leggers with it to attack them. Luckily, the spirits were not immune to Goh's magic and they managed to eliminate ninety-nine of them with the hundredth escaping from the troops. 

After the fight, Goh grew tired, overwhelmed by the forest feeding on his magic and nodded off. At first they wanted Ren to lead the Tauros with Goh behind him but Ren had been having Acerola taking control of the leash for a while now and he didn't know how to handle it. 

Ash didn't like the idea of having Marnie and Goh seated on one Tauros so he offered to exchange their rides. He had a good forty of Tauros in Yadon and had been handling them for years so this was his turf. Marnie agreed and rode the Rapidash instead. Goh hadn't argued against it since he was too sleepy to even talk and just rode with whomever. 

"This looks like a good camping area", said Acerola. 

"Let's stop here", agreed Ren. 

They let the Rapidash and Tauros to feed on the grasses while Ash had piled a bed of grass and let Goh to sleep on it. Goh was joined by Pikachu who curled next to him to get body warmth. The others were also doing the same except for Acerola who was lighting up the fire. 

When Marnie and Ren had turned in, their hunger forgotten, Ash sat near the fire to warm up his body from the cold breeze. "Nghhh, I'm pretty hungry", he whined, his stomach doing the rumbling. 

"You're taking good care of him, Satoshi", said Acerola. 

"I try not to get in his way", said Ash. 

"Although, Satoshi is just an alias, isn't it?" 

Ash looked at her in shock. "How do you know?" 

"I've seen your portrait a few times in the Yadon Palace. It's hard to miss. Also, when you spoke, sometimes you accidentally let the Yadon slur slip and the way you often hold your sword, two fingers in the middle curled in, that's like an insignia of Yadon's royal sword art techniques. I learnt all about different styles when I was an apprentice to a magic knight. You may fool Goh but you cannot fool his royal guard", she replied and winked at him.

"Please don't tell him!" 

"You have your reasons. Tell him when you're ready. So, are you here for my king?" 

"To amend things between us". 

"Can I take it as you knew about what happened in the harem?" 

"I figured it out a while back. I'm not angry though". 

Acerola relaxed after Ash admitted his feelings. The two stared at the fire for a while before Ash spoke again to reaffirm his knowledge. 

"Tell me, do I really have twins?" 

"I'm amazed you know the details. Who told you that?" 

"I know a merchant called Frederick. He'd seen the twins and showed his memory of them to me". 

"Frederick is Goh's distant uncle. Quite a nosy man". 

Ash covered his mouth as it dawned to him just how close he really was with Goh's network. 

"I see. That's how he got to see the twins. What did Goh named them?" 

"Princess Aria Rose and Prince Levi. Her Highness Aria is a copy of you and His Highness Levi has some sweet sides that I don't see in my king at all. Must have come from you". 

The affirmation made his heart clenched. It was real. It was very real. 

Acerola watched the young emperor break down in front of her after hearing their names, his shoulders shaking as his tears burst forth, spilling down his face. He had been holding it since their conversation revolved around the twins. There is so much more that he wished he could've been a part of and he wished he could've seen them and be with them.

"Aria Rose. That's sweet. Levi is a good name too", said Ash, smiling as the tears won't stop flowing. 

She wasn't sure why but her eyes began to well up too. To see a man rumoured to be the strongest in the world at the moment of his weakest, it muffled the rumours, only to show a man without all of his walls. Everyone had a moment where it made them realize just how much things hurt. This moment was for Ash. 

"H-Hey, I'm sure you'll get to see them alright?" said Acerola, patting his shoulder to comfort him. 

"I'm just glad", said Ash.  _ Glad that they were born safely.  _

"I'm sure you two will work it out. If it's meant to be then it is meant to be". 

The rest of the night, Acerola shared more stories about the princess and the prince to Ash. Some were amusing that Ash would scoffed and laughed at it. It was still far but he could feel the distance enclosing. A small step to getting closer. 


	11. Chasing After Your Shadow

Meanwhile the situation back in Yadon was a little concerning. 

It had been a while since Clemont returned to Yadon. Now that the governing center had been temporarily moved to Saffron's capital, he spent most of the time there managing his tasks and redistributing the work resources to different places. 

With the newly acquired Celadon, there was also the power shift that needed to be organized. He had been hiring a number of assistants to help with the management side of things and they had been calling in new recruits to be trained and assigned to Celadon for restructuring. 

He had a purpose to be back in Yadon. The first thing was to keep up to date with the development of the Yadon's palace capital after the fire. The layout plan had been discussed and changed to cater to the new government reform they were having and the second purpose was, as he looked straight at General Kukui with panic clear in his eyes, he said, "I couldn't locate the emperor". 

Kukui looked at the Flygon that was sunbathing in his yard and assumed that it was Clemont's ride. It must be urgent if he had to use the fastest ride pokemon they had in Saffron. 

"Come again, Advisor Clemont?" asked Kukui, unable to process the words Clemont had told him. 

"I couldn't find the emperor. He is not in Saffron at the moment. Have you seen him in Yadon?" asked Clemont. 

"No, he hasn't come by here. We just got back from Celadon a few days ago. I remembered accompanying him from there until the Saffron Palace", said Kukui. 

"Oh no…" Clemont looked worried, "What should I do now?" 

"Why don't you come in and tell me what happened?" 

"Thank you", said Clemont, walking into Kukui's home, wearied from the long journey from Saffron. He had been flying on the dragon pokemon for two days. 

"What's happening?" asked Kukui. 

"A few days ago, His Excellency arrived at Saffron and spent two days at the palace. He told us he would be accompanying a merchant friend but didn't exactly specify the location he was going but since it was a friend, I didn't think much about it. It has been a bit more than a week and he didn't return to Saffron and now, we are looking for him". 

"Did he not leave a message behind?" 

"He didn't but when I asked the eunuch if he noticed anything different about His Excellency, he showed me these", Clemont pulled out two books. There was a book about the world map and another about romance entitled as : **_Chasing after Your Star Crossed Lovers, by Samson Oak_ ** . 

"Isn't this the top selling advisory book of steps to romancing your loved ones?" asked Kukui, picking it up and opening it. He had a copy of this since Burnett wanted to read it as it became a topic of conversation in her community book club. He noticed a torn page in it. Kukui went to his bookshelf and took his own copy, opening the exact same page where the tear was. 

"Steps to amend your relationship with your lover…" Kukui laughed at how cheesy the title sounded but he stopped laughing when he connected the dots. He picked up the other book and saw a folding mark on Ecruteak map and the list of particulars to fill in for the cross border pass. 

"Isn't Ecruteak the kingdom where General Brock reported King Goh was heading towards?" asked Kukui. He had filed the report recently at the headquarters. 

"Yes but how is it connected?" asked Clemont. 

"I can't tell you my theory but I know where the Emperor is at". 

"Where?" 

"Ecruteak. I'll make preparation to leave and search for the Emperor". 

"We need you to be in Celadon for leading the reformation work. It pains me to say this but we cannot afford to have you go after the Emperor".

The pipeline was tight and they needed as many people as they could. Kukui heaved a long sigh as he thought for another option they could use. There was and he hoped that the two could be trusted to complete the mission. 

"I'll send Gladion and Lillie to Ecruteak". 

"The two young spies you were training?" 

"They make a great team, the brother and sister pair. I trust that they can deliver". 

Clemont nodded and allowed Kukui to proceed with it. He hoped that the emperor could be found soon. 

\---------

"Lillie". 

Lillie turned around only to find Gladion standing in the doorway in his black garments with both of his arms crossed. 

"Yes, brother. What do you want?" asked Lillie. There just won't be a day where she would find Gladion not looking like he was going to make children cry. His chilly gaze would be casted from across the room and never gentle. 

"Did you clean up after dinner?" asked Gladion. 

"Isn't it Marxie's turn?" 

"It's yours, isn't it? Did you forget? You promised Marxie you would do her bidding today if she lends you the novel". 

"You were the one who ended up reading it", she pointed out. 

"But you're the one who made the promise", said Gladion. 

They both had a stare down for a few seconds until Lillie decided to man up to show that she was the better person. 

"Fine, I guess you're just very princely and wouldn't want to get your hands dirty", she said and left the room with a hmph. She had her nose up in the air as she walked past him and her attitude didn't bode too well with Gladion. 

"You know what? I can do it myself. I don' t need your help. Since I'm the one who ended up reading it then I should take responsibility", said Gladion, following her. 

"Hmph, too afraid that I will scar your manliness?" 

"That has nothing to do with this. I'm just being an honourable gentleman". 

Gladion was Lillie's brother. After she had decided to join the army school, Lusamine had decided to enroll Gladion into the same school she was attending. Their mother was adamant about Gladion looking after his sister in said school. 

Since he looked like a Gothic thug, no one dared to mess with him or Lillie. The army training had been heavy but it went smoothly without her being harassed. She had seen bullying happening in the army school and many had to quit because of the harassment that they get. 

In a way, with Gladion by her side, it had helped her to grow as a soldier in a healthier way. In their second year of enrollment, they were asked to choose for specialisation. The two of them decided that being in the intel unit suited them the best. For Lillie, it was perfect since being in intel unit meant she could do lone wolf work and also helped her discover more about Chloe. 

Later, they were assigned to Kukui for training by following him to battlefields and assisted in the war and ever since then, they had developed a few unique skills in gathering information as well as fending themselves from enemies. 

They had grown stronger than they were before but as siblings, Lillie wondered if her bond with Gladion had grown any closer. They leapt quickly between arguments and working together that she wondered if this was just how siblings treated each other. 

Silence took them as they washed the dishes in the pantry. Lillie also noted how Gladion had attracted a few people to gather around the pantry - she knew about the existence of Gladion's fanclub and her brother's title of the blond beauty of the academy. 

"You have quite a number of fans. Must have felt great for you", said Lillie to her brother. 

"Shut up", this happened everywhere he went that he wasn't surprised anymore. 

Marxie came into the pantry looking for them. When she found both Gladion and Lillie keeping their promise, she was very pleased with them. She also brought to them a memo she received from her instructor. 

"Lillie, Gladion, thank you so much".

"It's nothing, Marxie. We can do this all day", said Lillie. 

"I thought I would come back to finish it up but since you two had kept your word, I am happy. Anyway, I have an urgent memo for the two of you. It came through the bird mail and my instructor told you to commit to it first thing tomorrow after receiving it", said Marxie. 

Gladion and Lillie took a look at the memo. It stated to them that they needed to go to the army mission office to pick up the assignment parcel. 

It seemed they would be on their way for their first independent mission. 

\--------

Acerola had left Ash to be on the watch for the night but as usual, he fell asleep right in the middle of his duty. While he was nodding off, Goh woke up in the middle of the night after having enough rest. He sniffed his clothes and made disgusted faces. They hadn't been cleaning up themselves for days now and with all the sweats from the fight, he was sure they were in need for some sanitisation. 

He went to where Ash was sitting while sleeping and shook his shoulder gently. 

"I can take your shift and keep watch. Why don't you go to sleep?" he said. 

"I'm watching…. Zzzzz". Ash snored and slumped on Goh's thigh. At first, Goh wanted to shake him off but when he saw the swollen eyes, he held back and let the other sleep peacefully instead. 

"Pikachu, use Zap Cannon". 

"You're so silly. It's so Ash", Goh laughed. Back in the harem, when Ash decided to sleep in the harem's chamber, he would often hear Ash mumbling in his sleep as he ordered Pikachu to use different movesets. Only Ash would do such a thing in his sleep. 

"Why do you feel the need to introduce yourself as Satoshi? It'd only be me who would know". 

CLANK!!! Goh was startled when a sword swung in front of his face, barely missing his hair, destroying what looked like a poison blow dart that had been aimed his way. Ash yawned, his sword drawn out from its sheath and he carefully followed the rustling sound with his ears. 

"Who's there?" he asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes with his free hand as he sat up to look around for any sign of an enemy. It was an automated reaction. While they were still in the forest, his guard was pretty much attuned to the surrounding. 

He caught the sound of another blow dart being shot at him and he deflected it. Seeing how they didn't know how many people were surrounding them, it would be better if Goh would erect a barrier for them.

"Goh, can you help put up a barrier?" asked Ash. 

"...." 

"Goh?" he turned his head slightly to see the other who was looking at him like he had done something wrong. 

".... Were you awake the whole time?"

_ Yes but half awake.  _ "No".

Not telling was a good reply from him. Another blow dart released in their direction and nearly hit Ash but was saved by the bell when Goh casted a barrier spell to deflect it. 

"Better late than never", Ash laughed nervously. 

Goh surrounded the area with a light barrier that anything foreign coming through from outside of it would be destroyed. They heard a man chuckling as a shadow crossed their view and he emerged from his hiding. 

"Hau?" said Goh, remembering the picture on the bounty poster. 

"Oh, so you know me? I can't help it. My face is everywhere in Ecruteak", said Hau, proud that he was that popular in the kingdom. 

"Do you know him?" asked Ash, feeling a tug of jealousy kindled in his heart. 

Goh ignored him and instead, he asked Hau, "Are you the grandson to Hala?" 

"That's my grandfather's name but I've never met him. My father left to search for him", said Hau, "but why are you interested in my background?"

"Yeah why?" 

Goh heard Ash mumbled sarcastically and somehow it pissed him off to listen to it.  _ Fine. _

Goh was quick to return his payback to the sarcasm by using words that could be interpreted differently. 

"I wanted to  _ see _ you. You and me, we can pursue a relationship like no other", said Goh, earning himself a discontented glare from Ash. Although he meant a professional relationship between two kingdoms, the man beside him was already chewing his inner cheeks. 

Ash didn't like the wording he used and grabbed him by his arm. 

"Can we talk?" asked Ash. 

"Can you wait because I am trying to bridge a meaningful conversation?"

"Define meaningful conversation". 

"Something that would bring a positive outcome in the relationship between two people".

"Oh? So you're willing to have some meaningful relationship with another man but not with me? How so?" 

" Enough of you bullshit. Also, it's none of your business". 

"You're purposefully doing this, aren't you?" 

"You must be insane to think that. You should face reality instead of chasing something ridiculous like a shadow of someone you don't even know existed. If you would just accept reality, then maybe you wouldn't be all the way here leaving your duties behind". The fight got real personal. Suddenly Goh was talking about them. 

"So you're poking fun at my desire to amend what's broken?" 

"It never existed in the first place! You're just delusional to think that it ever did". 

"Why don't you ever think about my feelings? Do you enjoy hurting me that much? Do you think leaving is the only option instead of I don't know, telling me the truth?"

"No one has ever come and no one has ever left. There's nothing here that I'm hiding from you. It's all just in your brain".

"Oh yeah? So you think I'm crazy, out of my mind while you continue to lie to yourself? Hey, I'll open a fucking court for you to come right at me with your story". 

"Stop with your delusion. You're just wasting everybody's time". 

"Then I must be delusional then for doing this". Ash grabbed a fist full of Goh's cloth and pulled him close. 

He didn't wait… he couldn't. It wasn't what he planned to do but he wanted to make Goh understand. He knew that they were just grating on each other's nerves . He heard Goh when he was half asleep - he knew deep down there wasn't any hatred between them. 

And that's why, he captured it without much hesitation, the kiss. Goh wasn't really resisting it and in fact, he momentarily leaned in closer before catching himself doing that and tried to part. 

This was getting crazier. 

"Ehem!" when Hau cleared his throat, they snapped out of it. "That was sweet and all but I thought you wanted to talk about something?" 

"Y-Yes, give me a few minutes", said Goh as he turned around to get the heat off from his face. 


	12. The Way to You

The cavalry unit headquarters was situated north of Yadon and it was the biggest building in the whole kingdom. It was made of stones and marbles and it was unique in terms of design. This was the first time Gladion and Lillie had visited the headquarters. The cavalry soldiers were all dressed in armours according to the troops they belonged to, all bearing the yadon emblem on them. 

Lillie and Gladion were in awe as they searched the floors for the mission office they had been instructed to find in the memo. It was just so dazzling, the way the building was decorated. At the entrance lobby, a giant statue of a slowking armed with a spear took them by surprise and Gladion cringed at the design. For over the years he was staying in Yadon, he realized he would rather see Tapu koko motifs everywhere than this. 

He didn't have any hatred towards Slowpoke, just the excessive usage of Slowpoke's motifs that he hated. They asked for directions from the soldiers that were in the lobby and they gave them a map on where to find the mission office. After a good twenty minutes of walking, and they hadn't even covered a third of the headquarters, the two arrived at the office and gave the doorbell a ring by tugging the string. 

"Enter", said the girl behind it. Her voice was cold and strong. They wondered how she looked like. 

It was a petite lady with a stare that reminded Gladion of a brick. She had a scarf around her hair, they noted, and her name plate had her name on it as Bea. 

"The two of you must be the siblings High General Kukui had spoken about", she said. 

"Yes, we are here to pick up the mission parcel", said Gladion, explaining their purpose. 

"Come here and sit", ordered Bea, "I am the mission officer who is in charge of your briefing. This will take a while". 

Gladion and Lillie took a seat in front of her. 

"Alright, these are the documents for the mission. Let's have a look". 

The two opened it to see binded booklets inside it. They opened to the first page as directed by Bea. 

"Your mission is to find the emperor", said Bea, "it's a classified piece of information that  **must not** be shared with anyone. The emperor is suspected to have gone to Ecruteak". 

"Wait, why are we looking for the emperor?" asked Lillie. 

"According to High General Kukui, His Excellency could've gone there to meet with his old flame". 

"His old flame?" Gladion repeated, his face scrunching in a displeased way. 

"I do not know about the details of his old flame or his new flame and neither am I interested in his love affair but your assignment is to guarantee a safe return of His Excellency. We do not know the exact location he is at the moment so this is something you must investigate". 

"So he is in love but that doesn't sound like an immediate danger", Gladion pointed out. 

"We can't be sure about that. After all, it's a territory outside of Yadon's influence. For now, when you find him, the two of you will be his acting bodyguards. Are we clear?" asked Bea sternly. 

Lillie and Gladion nodded. 

"Good. Now onto the documents we have prepared for you". 

They moved on to the next page. There they found the Border Crossing Pass and a permission letter to the ride pokemon section to allow them to pick out two flying type ride pokemons. 

"Since you need to locate him quickly, we are providing you with well trained pokemons. You can pick any one that you want. They'll come in handy". 

"But what if my sister is too afraid to ride one?" asked Gladion, slightly worried. 

"Then she has to get over it and get going". 

"Alright", said Gladion. This part wasn't too bad. 

They were also asked to pick up the gold sacks for accomodation and purchases. When she finished with her briefing , Bea told them to be safe for their journey. 

With the parcel in hand, Lillie and Gladion went through the day collecting all the necessities. Lillie chose for herself an Altaria while Gladion chose a Noivern. Despite that, Lillie was trembling at the sight of Altaria. 

"You're still scared of a pokemon?" asked Gladion. 

"Do you think you can just get over your fear in one day, just because you have a mission to do?" 

They spent another three hours trying to get Lillie on top of altaria. 

Having enough, Gladion rolled his eyes and came to where Lillie was with her Altaria. He suddenly lifted her up from the ground and hoisted her over onto the altaria. Lillie squeezed her eyes, her hands still trembling. 

" At the very least try to look at altaria. She is worried about you", said Gladion. 

Lillie slowly opened her eyes and Altaria craned its neck towards her, its pebble eyes gleaming with genuine worry. Lillie slowly stretched her hands to touch Altaria's hair. 

"Altttt", the bird pokemon excitedly squawked. 

"Ahh.. It's pretty cute", said Lillie. 

"See not too bad, isn't it?" Gladion jumped onto the back of the Noivern, rubbing its neck gently. 

"You look like a vampire", said Lillie, judging his choice from atop of Altaria. Despite Gladion helping her with her fear of Altaria (which doesn't mean she could touch other pokemon), it didn't mean she would get along with her brother. 

"Well you looked like some fairy godmother", he retorted back on their way back to the academy

Lillie stuck her nose up with a hmph. Seriously, she wished she had a better older brother. 

\--------

Three adult men, squeezed on top of a Tauros, was the most uncomfortable position that Hau had ever been in. When they agreed to follow Hau to his village community, they had to vote on the riding arrangement. Since they only had three rides- a Rapidash and two Tauros, they had to make a stick draw. Who got the longest stick gets the Rapidash. It turned out Ren won the vote and so the Rapidash went to him. Pikachu would also be joining him since it was very small. 

Then the grouping vote was also decided through stick vote. Marnie, Acerola and Decidueye would be riding on one Tauros while Goh, Ash and Hau would be on the other. After a lot of argument between them, it was decided that Hau would lead the Tauros while Ash would be sitting in the middle. 

It had been two days since they were heading into the mountainous area. It was slower to go up than to go down. 

Making the matter worse was the fact that the two just won't stop bantering at each other like old married couples. The group had to put up with all the measly fights they had like right now. 

"Can you stop sliding to the back? You're going to make me slip off", said Goh. 

"I'm trying. We're ascending a hill and it's only natural that I would be sliding off too". 

"Shut up. You can do it if you try hard enough". 

"How hard do you want me to try? Life is already hard as it is with you nagging at everything I do". Back then, they got on the wrong foot and now they were just finding fault in each other. It wasn't how it should be - two years ago, he might have on occassion crossed Goh but he never reacted this vehemently. 

Ash wondered what went wrong and how could they patch the gap between them. He wondered if people do get bored of one another. He wouldn't like that to happen. 

_ I never thought it is going to be this hard _ , he sighed. 

Hau came to a conclusion that it was for the best that he intervened for the sake of others. 

"Do you both need help? I have a shaman who is not only great at predicting the future but can also fix broken relationships. I can recommend you to him", said Hau, interrupting their fight. 

"We're good", said Ash. 

"I never think of it that way. Don't go assuming  **my** opinion on this", said Goh. 

"So you want his shaman to fix your personality issue?" asked Ash. 

"What? So you're telling me I'm a horrible person now?"

"Horrible? No, that would be too good. You have mental issues".

"I am not crazy. You are". 

"Fine, even if I am, do you want a shaman to help with your problems?" 

"No". 

"Then, what's wrong with me telling him that?" 

Hau realized that they were going nowhere. 

"I think we should switch places", said Hau to Acerola. He was done with their argument. He felt like a child taking a backseat of their parent's fights. They stopped and Acerola sat in between Ash and Goh while Hau got onto the other Tauros. 

"Both of you are like children", sighed Hau, "If you have a problem with each other why don't you just come out and settle it once and for all? I'm not saying that you need to punch each other to death but you can talk it out, kiss and make up. You did that two nights before right? Just do that more frequently and you'd have a healthy relationship". 

Ren, Marnie and Acerola felt a chill coursed through their veins. 

"So they kissed", Marnie mumbled, trying not to imagine the image in her head. "Is this a popular romance trope where the ex lover came back to chase after the heroine?" 

"I can't deny how accurate that is", answered Acerola. Being the only one who was aware of it was kind of lonely. 

"... Hold on then Satoshi is…." said Ren, turning to stare at Ash. 

"Don't. Let him figure it out himself", Ash threw back a glare at Ren. 

Goh wanted to retort back that he knew but was quietened. He couldn't acknowledge it or else Ash would definitely catch him for real. Although, at this point, he probably already did. 

"What? Cat got your tongue?" asked Ash loudly from the front seat. 

"Hardly", said Goh, sounding sad. He wondered what he was afraid of. Here was the emperor, pursuing him like he was the only one he ever wanted but here he was, pushing the other away like they shouldn't be with each other. 

_ Maybe, I'm just afraid that we'd lost it all again.  _ His thought revealed the inner fear he had. 

The silence was guilt tripping Ash that he needed to resolve this quickly. 

He stopped the Tauros and got off from it. He walked to the back of the Tauros, looking at Goh's back. Maybe he should start with something light to lift off the animosity between them. 

"I feel bad that you have to smell the arse of a Tauros. It stinks", said Ash. "Miss Acerola, can you take the leash?" 

"Sure". 

He asked Goh to scoot to the middle and climbed to sit on its back. Then he did the unthinkable and wrapped his arms around Goh's waist and nuzzled his neck. At this point, everyone knew they were having a relationship prior to the trip and he could care less what they thought about him hugging Goh. In his arms, Goh tensed up but made no move of arguing over it. 

Perhaps he should also slip a hint for Goh here . 

"You know, I have a lot to say to you since the day you disappeared but I know you probably don't want to talk about it. It doesn't look like a good experience for you either. Whatever it is, I'll try to understand your side of the story". 

"D-Did it hurt? W-When I left", asked Goh quietly. He understood what Ash was telling him. He understood that Ash didn't want him to hide anymore. 

"I'm scarred for life. I couldn't tell if you survived the fire and I wouldn't know what to do if that happened. Never would I want to lose whatever version of you". 

"I… I don't really want to leave. Just know that it wasn't in my intention to hurt anyone". 

"I know".

"I'll talk about it but give me some time". 

They spent the rest of the journey in peaceful solidarity and when they finally arrived at the tribe's village, they were surrounded by a group of people. Hau climbed down from the Tauros and gave them a tribal salute. 

He turned to the rest of them. "Welcome to my village. I'm Hau, the leader of the mountain tribes". 

\----------

Hau led them to the hot spring pool they had behind the village area. Marnie and Acerola had been complaining about the reek from their body odour and growing uncomfortable, they inquired for a place to quickly clean themselves. Since it was cold at night, Hau suggested that they dipped themselves in the hot spring pool instead. They were excited to learn that and had him show them the way. 

There were a number of pools to choose from and the ladies, together with Pikachu found a separate one further away from the men's zone. Now, since they were all men, they shouldn't feel awkward around each other but Goh had been conscious about shedding his clothes. "Can I choose a separate pool?" he asked. Since there were quite a number of them, it didn't seem like a problem to him. 

"Just jump right in. What's the problem?" asked Hau. 

"Nothing", Goh answered quickly and took off his clothes. Leaving his underpants on, he went into the water, dipping his toe first before slowly submerging his whole body in it. Ash was relaxing next to the bank, sighing at the heat embracing his body. 

"This feels great", he said. Pikachu swam in the water, paddling its feet as it cruised around. 

Ash looked to his side and saw Goh keeping at least two meters away from him. 

_ Why so far?  _

"Is there something you are embarrassed of? Or are you just shy? " he asked Goh. 

"I do not feel shy, thank you", Goh denied. 

"Huh… You sure are acting like one. Staying so far from us", said Ash and Hau supporting his statement in the background with a, "He's right". 

"..." Goh, determined not to lose to Ash's taunt, scooted closer. 

"See, I'm closer now. Happy?" 

"Still two arms away. Closer. I can't see you in the steam". 

"You sound like a wolf". He scooted closer anyway despite his comeback. 

"We have a term for this in our tribe", said Hau, "when a person played hard to get, we called them a Moody Sweetheart". 

"Yeah, stop being a Moody Sweetheart", Ash repeated after Hau. Goh splashed the hot spring water at Ash in retaliation. 

"Ouch that sting", Ash said. He just took the water assault without retaliating back. A little heat was nothing compared to battle wounds. 

Hau hummed when he felt his tightened muscle relaxed. Pikachu came back to Ash and nuzzled him adorably before going on a cruise again in the pool. Meanwhile, Goh was looking at the sky and spotting the stars in the veil of the night. 

"That's Lugia", he said subconsciously. 

"Oh, did someone still remember the star lores I told him back then? About a fated meeting". 

"Alright, that's my cue. I'm changing the pool", said Hau, standing up and moving to another one that was empty. 

Ash waited until Hau was out of sight before scooting closer to Goh who tensed up visibly at the sight of him. 

"I know you said to me that you needed time but I already know most of it", said Ash. 

"How can you be sure?" 

"How am I not sure?... Let's take a step back. The day the fire happened, I had an encounter with the perpetrator. They told me that they were searching for you in the harem. 

Then there was the dream. I met quite some characters in it. First, there was you, there was Chrysa, there was this man whose name is Raihan and there was also Leon. Leon kept telling me that I have a daughter who is a witch and I never thought that what he is saying is real. I was only half sure. 

But then, I just put them together. You told me in the harem that you didn't have magic so if my daughter has magic, where would she resource it from if not from another magician? 

Then my counterpart must have magic and so far I keep track with whom I slept with and after Serena, the only other one is your alias self", explained Ash. 

"How can you be sure that I have your daughter?" 

"One, I would believe Leon anytime. Two, I met your uncle, Goh. He showed me the small party you threw for the twins in Vermillion castle. I saw your face in the background being aloof. 

Also, Acerola already talked to me about them. That's why, don't…. Just look at me right now. I think what you're worried about is your insecurity being a man. Do I look like I'd care if you're a woman or a man?" 

Ash was pleading. Goh saw it in his eyes; Ash was putting his feelings out in the open. Now that it was all there, it was left up to Goh to pick it up one by one, whether to accept it or leave it untouched. 

_ What am I hesitating for?  _

"It's not just that… I just think this whole thing between us is too good to be true. Both of us come with status and power and there's so much to think about. What if because of these, we will lose each other again?" Goh finally revealed his insecurity, the one he had been keeping to himself. 

Ash held his chin and tilted his lips so that it was easier for him to silence the worry in Goh's mind. It was slow at first, a soft nudge from Ash to grant him an access to his heart, their breaths intermingled and in the steam, it just roused the temperature around them. Ash's fingers crawled up his shoulder blade then to the back of his neck and he was drawn closer and the kiss melded deeper. 

He could feel there was no hesitation in Ash's pursuit, as their tongues clasped like having a sun melt in their mouth. It was slightly tangy, slightly sweet but he didn't think too much of it. It just got wetter and wetter and before Goh knew it, he was already climbing on top of Ash. 

Drowsy from the sweet aroma of the steam, he let Ash's fingers brushed through his strands. His fingers too were running and melding through the black greenish lock. He could feel the tip of Ash's ear brushed against his hand and Ash's other hand sliding down his back. 

It felt so good. 

Goh's chest tightened, his lungs hungry for air, breathlessly panting from the kiss. 

"Ash, you know we can't…" 

"If we really can't, then I wouldn't find my love in you. If we really can't, then why do we cross paths again and again like now?" 

Ash pulled him closer and coaxed him into another kiss. 

The term  _ taking one's breath away _ was really a phrase between two people who were longing for each other. It was coined for this moment because that was just what it is. The kiss left them with no air. 

Ash was a mess when he parted away and he didn't know what he was doing when he brought Goh out of the pool and into the forest surrounding the hotspring. The moment the hotspring was out of sight, they continued where it had been left off. Goh's skin chafed against the rough bark but he didn't care. 

They knew what they wanted. In the shadow, there weren't any self restraints and off came the only piece of cloth Goh had, stranded on the ground. 

The only sounds that could be heard were muffled moans and gasps. 

Away from the people. Away into the forest. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Ash you know we can't" but he climbed on top anyway lololol


	13. Looming in the Castle

Pikachu left the pool when it got too steamy for its eyes and ears. Its eyes were burning from the display and it tried its best to forget what it had just seen. 

"Pika… ..Piiika." (They forgot I was there…And that was a fast move )

"Pikachu?" asked Hau when he spotted Pikachu diving into his side of the pool. Hau strained his neck over the boulder to see what was going on and saw the two were lip locking intensely without a care. 

"I thought they just met? They were seriously fighting these two days. I never see this coming. Then, this means my assumption is wrong… Are they sexually frustrated? Is that why they were all angry at each other? " asked Hau to no one in particular. 

"Actually I was on the other end of the same pool and when they started to you know what, I left too", said Ren suddenly. It seemed everyone had forgotten about him. 

"Oh my Arceus! I forgot that you're here!" screamed Hau. 

"Please, not too loud. You're damaging my self esteem". 

"I'm sorry. Just what kind of relationship they have to be you know, eagerly um, touching? Oh my Arceus, listen to myself! It's embarrassing to ask these questions!" 

"In short, they're married". 

"What? Can a man marry another man now? Does that mean I can marry my dream nobleman?" 

"No, it's purely by accident they officiated a marriage. Legally, it can't be done at the moment". 

"Then how?" 

"I can't tell you much about that. It's their secrets". 

"So they know each other for a long time now, is that it?" 

"Practically yes. It's a complex story haha", Ren half heartedly laughed. "Luckily for him, soul contract does not happen twice with the same person. Or we would have trouble again". 

Hau noticed how the two had gone off somewhere when he peeked again. 

"Um… woah, I think they left", said Hau. 

"I really don't want to get close".

"Let's just wait here".

"Agreed". 

"Pika". (Me too) 

\------------

The tribes' pseudo leaders under the command of Hau gathered around the bonfire and sang a tune together in a language that was never heard by their guests. The shaman sprinkled chopped grasses and soil into the fire, letting it burn as he encircled it several times before stopping next to Hau and crooning with his eyes closed. 

"It's time", said the shaman and Goh was asked to sit in the circle drawn next to the bonfire. The shaman talked in a strange language, bellowing the power to come forth. Ash who was watching the ritual shivered when he felt the tent was surrounded by an energy he was familiar with. 

Leon emerged next to him, watching the ritual with great curiosity. 

The shaman bellowed, "We are the children of the Aura, we bestowed you with the Veil of the Night to hide your presence from the ever seeing eyes of the forest spirits!" 

At the mention of children of aura, Ash straightened his back, clearly shocked at the revelation.

The leaders renewed their humming and Goh felt something heavy enveloped him. His magic felt strained and the heaviness congested his magic pores and soon, he wasn't able to materialize his magic. A black pattern materialized like a tattoo at the visible part of his hand. Perhaps it extended all the way up on his body and it made him uneasy. 

"What's going on?" Goh asked. 

"Young magician, as long as you were to stay within this forest, this veil will not be removed from you. We cannot afford to agitate the sleeping spirits of the forest. This is for your own good", said the shaman. 

"By taking away my magic? How is this a solution?" argued Goh. 

"A long time ago, a witch had gone rampage and attacked the earth civilization. Everywhere the people go, only chaos and despair await them. Until one day, the spirits and the legendary pokemons came together and created a sword that could take down the witch". 

"How do you know about this story?" asked Goh. 

"The story has been passed down to us through generations. All the people that you see around you, we are the children of aura. The spirits will not touch us for we have given the world freedom but the magic was cursed by them and so if they sensed it, they will eat the bearer alive. The magic they had eaten will return to the soil and thus, give birth to the enchanted forest, Forest of the Spirits". 

"The story is a bit wrong but at least they didn't mean harm to your lover boy. The only reason why the spirits didn't touch the bearers of aura because aura absorbs magic and it can kill them", said Leon. 

_ Is aura an evil power….  _ Ash's thought wandered. 

"Worry not, young magician. We mean you no harm. This veil offers protection to you while you are here", said the shaman.

When the ritual was over, the shaman walked closer to Ash. He pointed at him with his wooden cane and said, "You are also the children of aura, are you not?" 

"I can use Aura Cloak and my sword kept telling me about me being a direct descendant of Aura but I could care less about strange things like this". 

"A sword that can talk to you?" 

"There's a spectre that lives in the sword. His name is Leon". 

"Show me it", asked the shaman. 

Ash took it off from his belt. He thrust the sword in the sheath to the shaman and he pulled the sword out in awe. 

"This is the sword of the knight who took the witch's aura power", said the shaman. "No one else can wield the sword but the righteous descendent of the knight. My brother, with this in mind, you must stay away from a magician and must not bear a child with her. We fear that the witch could return if you do so". 

"He's right", said Leon, "but the advice comes a little late". 

"Just what if…. What if it happened? What's the worst thing that could happen?" asked Ash. 

"The world will end, my brother. The witch is anything but kind. When magic and aura combined, they became a power that took away life and it would be near impossible to stop it. Death becomes her power". 

"That sounds very bad", Ash admitted. 

"Oh, it's a lot worse than that, my brother. It's a lot worse". The shaman shook his head and returned the sword to Ash. Meanwhile, Goh who had been listening to the conversation was growing concerned. 

_ Didn't Ash tell me about Aria being a witch?  _

\----------

"Ariaaa", Kurune called from the bed. Aria raised her back and pushed herself slowly from the floor. Once she was able to stand, her hands panned as she tried to balance her tiny body. 

"Mnyunyuyu", she gurgled at Kurune Having just learnt how to stand, the small child was amazed at how far the floor was from above. 

"Oh, Goh is missing out on this development. I wonder if he is ever going to contact the castle". 

"Yah. Yah!" the baby girl tried to imitate a walking motion but fell down ungracefully on her back. She got into a crawling position and roamed the floor to find new things to see. 

"Mnyunyuyunyunyu",she made the noises as she picked up her favourite doll and pinched its cotton filled hand. "Yah, yah!" 

The wet nurse knocked on the door, bringing a fully fed Levi to Kurune's chamber. Levi struggled to get down and the wet nurse let him down onto the floor where he crawled to Aria to play with her. 

"Mnyuyuyuyuyuuyu". 

"Ahhhhh", Levi giggled and threw himself onto Aria. The two babies laughed, tackled each other and teddy rolled on the floor. From above them, Mew was watching them like a hawk to ensure no harm came in their way. 

"They're so charming", Kurune sighed. Soon, Kurune's eyelids grew heavier and she nodded off to take her afternoon nap. Mew flew out of the window and pulled two flowers in the meadow and brought them into the room. It gave one to Levi and another to Aria. 

Aria rolled the flower on her fingertips, smelling the sweet scent and giggled. "Myunyuyuyuyu", she said, pointing out to Mew with adoration in her eyes. When she got too excited, a black mist gushed out from her finger and turned the flower into a dried dead stalk. 

She cried as its beauty was taken away from her. Levi came over. He didn't like to see Aria crying and touched the stalk again and the flower sprung back to life, its beauty returning. 

Aria stopped crying and admired the golden light around it. 

"Myunyuyuyuyu", she showed him the flower he had given life too. With the glow still on the flower, Aria was able to play with it longer until she grew tired. When the two was nodding off, Mew levitated them onto the bed next to Kurune. 

Unbeknownst to them, from the gap of the door, a servant was watching the twins obsessively. Her eyes portrayed a sort of worship, like she was looking at a religion icon. 

"Oh, the witch homecoming is near", she whispered with an infatuated undertone, her hand clasped together. "I couldn't believe I would be given the trust to oversee it".

When she heard the sound of footsteps approaching, she immediately straightened herself and pretended to do her servant duty. Not too long after that, she saw Ikuo heading to the chamber with a number of magic knights. 

She quietly left the corridor, acting normally as she passed them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to point out Mnyuyuuyu is actually Mew's sound poorly imitated by the little princess since Mew is always with them. No one in the castle knew she already begin saying actual words. Haha. It sounded like random thing.


	14. A Strange Matter

In the East of Vermillion, there was a lake of salt so large that if one were to stand on one side, they couldn't see the other side of the lake. To go around it would be a two days ride on a Rapidash and once you reached the other side, the water there was murkier and the land would be surrounded by a grove that fogged a whole year round. People who ventured to the other side often never returned, creating folklore that dangerous beasts resided in the area. 

One morning, a wooloo shepherd woke up to a quarter of his farm crushed by a giant footprint and a good number of his wooloo was gone from the incident. Panicking, the shepherd took his Munsdale and headed to the capital to seek assistance. There was a mayor office in the capital where they could report the problems they were facing. He told the officer of the tragic loss that he had and his report were processed and landed on Hodge's desk. 

"A sighting of a giant footprint? Probably a hoax", said Hodge, disbelieving the content he was reading but he knew he had to respond to it somehow so that he could say it was taken care of. Chloe had just finished her training recipe and lied Raihan on the sword post. 

"Your Highness, have you completed today's training?" asked Hodge. 

"Yes, the sparring had been great", said Chloe. 

Hodge contemplated on giving her the assignment instead. He handed Chloe the mission paper to which she took it and read it. 

"A giant footprint?" she asked Hodge curiously. 

"It's a strange report but I don't think it's real", said Hodge. 

"The way it was described in the writing is quite vivid", said Chloe. "A lot of his wooloos were gone. Poor guy". 

"I think it was a stage robbery. His wooloos could've been taken away by some robbers". 

"Then, I'll look into this", said Chloe, taking the paper. "Taking down robbers would be a good practice". 

"Do you need someone else to accompany you?" asked Hodge. 

"Don't worry. Raihan would help me". She waved at him and picked Raihan back. She unposted her Rapidash and got on it. With Raihan belted to her waist, she left for the East of Vermillion where the sighting was reported. 

Raihan appeared and sat on the Rapidash back. Being a spectre meant there was no weight accounted for him so the Rapidash galloped just as if it was carrying only Chloe. They chased the time through the sunset and were rested by night. 

"You're really going there alone. Don't you need a backup?" asked Raihan. 

"It's just an investigation", replied Chloe. 

"I still think you need a backup. A giant footprint. We're talking about a giant footprint". 

"They could make it look like a giant footprint. It could be just a robber's scheme". 

"One robber?" 

"Maybe there's a group of them. Who knows?" 

Night time passed and it was morning again. Chloe continued on her journey until she reached the wooloo farm. There, she was greeted by the wife of the shepherd. She looked worried. 

"Are you the only one the capital had sent to help us?" asked the lady. 

"Yes". 

The farmer's wife brought her to see the farmer without saying anything more. On the bed laid the farmer whose eyes were bulging from excessive fear. He was quivering and his face was dusty white like he had seen a ghost. 

"I'm Chloe, the person in charge of helping you", said Chloe, introducing herself but he grabbed her hand and looked at her, wheezing. 

"I-I've seen it! I've seen it! It's the beast from the other side!" 

"What does it look like?" 

"The eyes glowed red! It ate my wooloo and stomped on the marsh with its foot!" 

Chloe left the farmer and went outside to check the landscape. She could feel goosebumps crawling her spine when she saw how fitting the description about the footprint on the paper. 

"T-There's no way this was made by a human". 

Raihan whistled." Now, who told me that they didn't need a backup?"

\--------

Two days after the ritual, Goh found a good time to talk with Hau alone. Hau was outside of his cave grooming his Decidueye, a morning routine he often did to ensure Decidueye was battle ready. Good feathers and skins was a sign of a ready and healthy pokemon. 

"Good morning", said Goh. 

"G'morning. How are you feeling? Is the veil setting?" asked Hau. 

"It feels lighter than yesterday",answered Goh, shuddering at the thought of how he wasn't able to stand properly due to the disturbance in his magic pores. Even walking, presumably a simple task became near impossible that Ash had to carry him to the tent where they were sharing.

"I feel a lot better. I'm here to talk to you about something", said Goh. 

"Sure, go ahead. I'll listen while grooming Decidueye". 

"Let me reintroduce myself again. I am King Goh, the ruler of Vermillion Kingdom. I've come to the Forest of the spirits to find you." 

"Wow, you're actually a king". 

"You said that your grandfather is King Hala". 

"That's what my father told me but personally, I've never met my grandfather". 

"The sword that you bear in the bounty poster, that's a sword given to the King of Ecruteak on coronation day". 

"Ahhh…"

"What do you see is happening in Ecruteak right now?" asked Goh. He wondered where Hau stands on the political plane. 

"I rarely went down to the capital but it seems quite alright to me. They might be a little poor but the people of Ecruteak are very kind". 

"Then, you should be helping them to get out of the slum". 

"When you have a kind heart, you don't need wealth. Your heart is already a piece of gold bigger than what wealth could give you", said Hau. 

"But not everyone who lived with a heart of gold deserved the suffering. You might not need gold here in this forest but the people who lived in the capital and relied on gold, they faced injustice. Some of them go hungry for days. Aren't you not sad for them? "

"Life is not the same for everyone. I think I understand where you're going with this", said Hau, letting Decidueye to leave his side and craned his neck towards Goh. 

"Then you must know what I'm after". 

"Is this about emptying the Ecruteak throne?" asked Hau. 

"Yes". 

"What is your plan? Let me hear it". 

"You are the rightful heir to the throne. I plan to put you back on the throne by assisting you with my cavalry and I believe you will make a just king for Ecruteak", said Goh. 

"If I were to do that, what's in for you?" 

"I want you to join with Vermillion to create an empire". 

"But I don't have an incentive to take after the throne. My father may be from a royal bloodline but my mother belongs to the tribe. This is also my family". 

"A great man used to say, if not us who? And if not now, when? Sometimes, to truly change something , it requires a man like you to realize inaction breeds tragedy". 

"My father used to say to stick to the water you know. This forest is my water". 

"Please, think about it", said Goh, deciding to leave it at that. Hau sighed and crossed his arms over his head

\------

The border soldier at the Ecruteak gate looked at the cross border pass handed to him. The two were overly suspicious characters, with the girl wearing a white gown with a big magician hat. The other one was wearing a black swallowtail jacket with ruffles around his neck. There were gold chains hanging down from his breast pocket and a rose peeked out from it. 

"Um…. So the two of you have come to Ecruteak to see your relatives in the Capital?" asked the soldier. 

"Precisely that", said the boy, whose name was Luke Hoggins in the paper. 

"But why are you dressed like a vampire? And you, are you a magician?" asked the soldier to the siblings. 

"I just like the fashion of the hat. It appeals to me so I took it and wore it", explained the girl who according to the paper, was called Maria Hoggins.

"It's a Gothic style, not Vampire", said the boy. 

The soldier wondered what kind of fashion statement these two were into. Kids nowadays had an odd sense of style. 

"So you will be going to the capital on a noivern and an altaria?" asked the soldier, affirming their ride method. 

"Yes, if you can't already see the noivern and altaria behind us. It's stated in the border crossing pass", the boy said.

"Okay, for flight rides, after you cross the gate, please take the stamp from the soldier on the other side before leaving the border gate", said the soldier, letting them pass. 

"He had so many questions, seriously!" grumbled Gladion once they were allowed to enter the gate. 

"Well, who asks you to wear eccentric clothing?" retorted Lillie, eyeing at his clothes' choice in disapproval. 

"You are no better, sister", he pointed out the garments she was wearing. 

They collected the stamps on the border pass and mounted on their rides. Noivern and Altaria took flight into the sky and they were met with the sight of Ecruteak's plane from above. Ecruteak was a beautiful kingdom with untouched forest patches all around it. Gladion and Lillie took in the breathtaking sight, swerving through the sky and breaking the clouds. 

"So, how do we start looking for the Emperor?" asked Lillie, shouting over the turbulence's sound. 

"You wouldn't believe it but I found something in the parcel besides documents", said Gladion, answering just equally loud. He guided the Noivern to land in a village he saw from above and Lillie followed with Altaria. 

Once they were on the ground, Gladion took out a small chest that was left in the parcel they collected from the office. He extended his hand far, knowing the content inside and revealed the content to Lillie. 

"Ewww!!!" Lillie jumped backwards from the smell. 

"High General Kukui left a note saying to use this to track down the emperor". 

"Isn't that his legging?" Lillie got behind altaria, her eyes shadowed with disgust. 

"Urgh, I know the feet is where it smells the strongest but oh my Arceus!" Gladion gagged, pushing it away from himself as he clinched his nose with his fingers, "Noivern, sniff on this!" 

Noivern inhaled the scent and stuck its tongue out in disgust. Despite that, it memorized the scent and sniffed the air. 

"Altaria too", he walked towards the bird pokemon but Lillie was giving him the nastiest glare she could muster. 

"Don't you dare make Altaria go through the pain", her voice was as dark as the devil's threat. Gladion shut the chest and kept it as far away as he could. He got onto the Noivern and then it flew to follow the scent it caught in the wind. 

The Noivern and Altaria flew low so that they could find the track. Two hours later, they entered a forested area with mountain ranges behind it. The two pokemon kept flying low, cruising a little above the tip of the trees. 

It was then when they were ambushed by a number of pokemons and Noivern and Altaria crash landed into an invisible net set to trap them. 

"Decidueye!!!!" 

The net enclosed, trapping the siblings and their pokemons inside it. 


	15. Haunted by the Past

Marnie and Acerola helped the tribe's woman to carry the stew they had prepared in the cooking area to the bonfire. Some of the men who were not on patrolling duty were already gathering around the fire, exchanging stories about their hunts in the forest. Hau came out from his cave, searching for Decidueye whom he cannot find a whole day. 

"Have anyone seen Decidueye?" he asked the small group that were gathered around the fire. One of the tribe men, the elder man, was able to recall seeing Decidueye. 

"I think it went with Manza's patrol group this morning",said the elder. 

"Manza…. Does it hate my story so much it has to join Manza?" Hau sighed. Manza was one of the notable leaders in the tribes and was well respected. He was also extremely good looking that all the girls in the tribe community dreamt of having Manza as a husband. 

Hau may not be as popular as a heartthrob of the village but his heart was already set on a nobleman that he would never dream of marrying another. Still, Manza was a rival to him and to have Decidueye following his rival, it was a painful but comical betrayal. 

From afar, Marnie was watching the interaction and smiled. The atmosphere reminded her of her small family back in the village. As she distributed the food to the group, she listened in their conversation and sometimes would laugh along with them. 

Ren was with the shaman, learning a few tricks to create medicinal herbs mix. The shaman had an apprentice too who was sharing some knowledge of the herb plants he had learnt. He showed them to Ren who picked some up to learn about their shape and smell. This would help further his potion making experiment and he might be able to synthesize new magic potion with the new herbs.

Acerola couldn't find her king and his dearest emperor and she decided not to bother with the search because they couldn't have gone far with his magic blocked from usage. After Ren told her about the things they did in the hotspring, she had an inkling not to go after them when they were alone. Arceus knew what she would walk into and she didn't want to tempt fate. 

Marnie was going to give Acerola a new potful of stew when she saw a shadow running into the forest. No one else had seen it despite the shadow running right in front of everybody. She caught a glimpse of its feature. A five years old with two sets of ponytails in a piece of dress that she had seen before. 

Marnie put down the stew pot and walked to where she had seen the shadow disappear into. 

"Is anyone here?" she asked, looking around for the shadow. She spotted a movement moving behind a tent and she went after it. It was fast and when she finally caught up with it, it took her by surprise. 

She gasped when she saw a girl resembling her standing in the shadow of a tree. 

" **Don't you forget who I am** ", it said, disappearing from sight . 

Then she heard noises coming from the groups that gathered around the fire. Marnie broke into a quick run away from the tree to where the group was. The girl, she refused to remember about her. 

"I don't want to go anywhere near that memory", she muttered, trying to even out her breathing. 

The crowd separated to two sides, leaving the middle empty. Manza's patrolling group had returned with a catch. First, they brought in a Noivern and an Altaria. Both pokemons were tied and were lined up in a line. 

Right after the pokemon were made to sit in the middle, Manza's team brought in another two people they had seized for invading the forest. They forced them to kneel next to the pokemons. 

Marnie closed her mouth with her hand. "It can't be…" 

A flash in her mind of a similar looking woman standing in front of her parent's still bodies entered her vision. The day it all ended. The day that put her on the street in the slum area of the capital. 

Had it been raining when it happened? She vaguely remembered how the weather was like that day. 

"Leader Hau, what do we do with their offence?" asked Manza, his voice pulling Marnie out of her thought. 

Hau stepped forward. His eyes gleamed with a mirth look, his finger pointed towards the male teen. 

"For trespassing the forest, that man shall be my bride", he said with a grin, affirmative. 

"Huh?" the sound of confused minds echoed in the forest. 

  
  


\------------

Trapped in the net, Gladion and Lillie were struggling to try to get off from it. Noivern and Altaria were also squashing their lungs out of air from their weight - were these traps going to kill them? They felt the net being lowered and with their bodies still trapped underneath the pokemons, Gladion and Lillie struggled to breath. 

They heard the voices of people talking and the net was cut loose after the pokemons were pricked with a small knife. When the pokemons were moved from atop the siblings, they were immediately surrounded by a group of people. 

"We will bring you to the tribe leader for an appropriate sentence for trespassing the forest", said the man who loomed over them. 

Soon, Lillie and Gladion found themselves being the center of the display of the tribe community. 

"Savages", Gladion muttered, staring at all of them with murder intent. If they were to touch even a strand of Lillie's hair, he would make sure they pay. He might not be the best brother out there but he would protect her when necessary. 

Soon, the tribe leader emerged from inside a cave to give his sentence of their offence. When the tribe leader's eyes fell onto them, he was stunned by them. Gladion wasn't sure what it meant but if it was Lillie that invoked the reaction, he will not think twice about protecting his sister. 

"Leader Hau, what do we do with their offence?" asked the man who had apprehended them.

Gladion and Lillie looked at the man who was only dressed in pants and were topless. The man had his green hair tied up high and he was looking at them like he knew them. When he lifted his finger, Gladion didn't like the savage way he was pointing at them. 

"For trespassing the forest, that man shall be my bride", he gave his verdict. 

Everyone was shocked about his decision, if the unified 'huh' was any indication. Gladion was sure that it was merely a joke or maybe he said it wrongly. Maybe he meant Lillie and screwed up the pronouns. Savages never go to school so they might make this kind of mistake. 

"I will not let you touch my sister!" said Gladion. 

"Gladion, he said that to you! I should be the one who's angry", Lillie corrected him. 

"He's a savage so his grammar can be terrible", said Gladion.

"So your name is Gladion? A perfect name for a beautiful man". 

"What?" said Gladion, dumbfounded. 

"See, he wanted to make  **you** his bride! I have to protect you!" 

"Darn you Lillie! Can you be quiet for a minute while I'm trying to process?" 

"What else is there to think about?" 

"How not to marry a savage obviously!" 

Gladion squinted his eyes and thought of something to say, something that could throw off the leader of the pack. Then, he commemorated his brain for not being dead when he needed it. 

"Hey savage, listen up. Unless you're a king of a kingdom, do you think you're worthy of my attention? Please, I have a reputation to live up to. I'll marry you if you are a king", said Gladion, his eyes challenging Hau. That would be impossible for a savage like Hau and he was sure he had had his intention throttled. 

"You sound like a wealth crazed human. It's disgusting", Lillie pointed out. 

"Shut up, Lillie. It's working, don't you see?" Gladion nudged his chin towards the pacing tribe leader. 

"A king of a kingdom….. Hmmmmmm…… Is this what you call a sacrifice to be made for love?" Hau mumbled, propping his chin with his fingers. 

Just when Hau was about to reply to Gladion, Ash walked behind Hau with his hands linked with another man. Sometimes when there were important events in the military academy, the emperor would be invited and it was near impossible to mistake him for somebody else. 

Now, Gladion was anything but keen to see the emperor was having his happily ever after moment when they were sent there to protect the emperor from a non existing harm. 

_ Keel, you son of a bitch.  _ The thought ran through his mind as he grinded his teeth. 

"Lillie, isn't that the missing emperor bastard? Tell me I'm not hallucinating", asked Gladion, nudging his chin towards Ash. 

"I know that you're not swearing loyalty to him but your mouth could do some washing. Still, you're right, brother. That is unmistakably him right there", said Lillie, watching the subject of their assignment walking casually with his date or his old flame as mentioned in the mission document. She decided to call him out loudly. Since he was very much walking freely in the tribe village, they must have created some connection to him. 

"Emperor Ash! Your Excellency! We have come to bring you back to Yadon!!!" 

Ash stopped in his tracks and all the tribe's eyes were on him like they had just learnt who he was. Even the tribe leader was stunned. 

"You're  **the** Emperor Ash of Yadon Empire?" asked Hau. 

"Haha, didn't I tell you before? I thought I did", laughed Ash, trying to calm everyone down. He recognized the girl who had called up to him. She was the one that had stayed in Kukui's house.

"It seems my general's students are here for me. If you would kindly release them, that would be great", said Ash, bargaining for their freedom, 

"I guess there's something to talk about after all", said Hau. He told his men to let them go. 

\---------

It was a rainy day and a foggy day in Ecruteak, as Marnie remembered and it was her birthday. There was a dress, newly tailored that was left on the bed, one that she had wanted to wear for the party, one that her mama and papa had had it done for her a few months before the invitation was sent. 

Marnie remembered the dress - knee length, laced and the fabric was Peach colour. Her hair was tied in an angel wings style, adorned with red ribbon that fell sweepingly downwards. When she looked at herself in the mirror, her child self couldn't contain how pretty the dress was. She just knew the party was going to be perfect. 

The party ended with a massacre. 

"There was blood", she muttered, biting her nails as she recalled how red the floor was with the blood from her guests. 

There was a guest, a woman, who stood at the doorway, her face tightened as she held a loaded barrel of a gun. She employed a few others who had infiltrated the party and swept the floor clean except for her who was hiding in a ventilation big enough to fit in a child. 

"Mama. Papa", she cried quietly after the woman, whom she remembered so well of her appearance - white dress, blond choppy hair and green eyes, left the hall. She heard her name as clear as day.  _ Lusamine.  _

Marnie trembled as she tried to erase the vivid image from her mind. In her tent, she laid down, hugging herself to forget about it. 

"Marnie?" Acerola, the one who was sharing the tent with her, turned around in her sleep to face her. "What's wrong?" 

"Nothing", said Marnie. 

"... If, if you want to talk about it, I would listen but I understand if you don't want to", said Acerola, reassuring Marnie that she was willing to listen. 

"It's just a small matter. I'll recover", said Marnie but she knew it herself that these memories she desperately wanted to be rid off would keep haunting her in her wake and in her sleep. No matter how far she wanted to run from it, it caught up to her and showed itself, crushing the comfort she had achieved like it was a brittle piece of glass. 

Slowly, the night dissipated and in came morning. She had some sleep but it still tired her out to be walking with a heavy cloud on her head. 

She was going to help out with breakfast when she bumped into Lillie, the girl who was almost a replica of the woman in her haunting memory. 

"I'm sorry. I didn't see you there", Lillie apologized. 

"Watch where you're going", Marnie snapped at her despite the apology. 

Lillie was taken aback by her snide response but let her pass. Did she do something wrong that could've caused hatred to bleed in Marnie's words? They barely knew each other and already, they were on the opposite sides of the axis. Marnie seemed to be a character with short fuse so Lillie had to be careful the next time they were mingling again. 

It wasn't the only time. 

When Lillie, granted that she wanted to amend her mistake, tried to help Marnie out with the laundry but she was deliberately disregarded by Marnie. Having no memory of crossing her, she thought that Marnie was being rude with her disparaging remarks and cold attitude. 

Lillie could only stand so much of such unfair treatment. She put her foot down and came up to her. 

"I don't understand why you're treating me like I'm a piece of trash!" said Lillie.

"Are you the daughter of Lusamine?" she asked monotonously. 

"How do you know that name?" 

"Assuming that you are, then you're just as bad as her. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree". 

"What is your relationship with her?" 

"None of your business". 

They hadn't spoken after the squabble they had. Lillie suspected that there was bad blood going on between Marnie and her mother Lusamine but with the way Marnie was acting, she knew that it must have been unforgivable. 

This rift they were having was unjustified but at the same time, Lillie didn't know much about Lusamine's affair that could have led to Marnie's spiteful hate on her. 

"What's with the hatred?" she quietly wondered. 

If only she could hear the explanation, it will make everything clearer for both of them.

_ If only I could talk to you.  _


	16. Into the Grove

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a bit of NSFW

A king. An Emperor. A tribe leader. The three men sat in the cave, staring at each other in a circle. Now that they were sitting like this, Hau tried to organize the profile of his two guests in his head. 

King Goh, from a neighbouring Kingdom of Vermillion, had come to Ecruteak to find him in order to rope him into a plan of overthrowing the current monarchy regime. He was a magician king and was a magic honeypot. The tribes' men veiled him from the eyes of magical creatures and Groudon to keep them resting in their slumber. 

Emperor Ash, as far as he knew, the name was spoken throughout the world that even a man (Hau) who was living in the deepest part of a forest had heard of him. He inherited the sword of the first knight and was also an aura user. His objective in Ecruteak had yet to be unravelled and he and King Goh were actually related to each other and were romantically involved. 

Still, what was an Emperor from a far land in the South East doing in a kingdom in the North?

"I know the reason King Goh has come to Ecruteak but an Emperor like you being here… there should be a reason", said Hau to Ash. 

"I do but being in the forest was not my original intention", said Ash. 

"Oh, were you in Ecruteak for a different reason?" asked Hau. 

"I'm actually interested to know about it", Goh looked at Ash suspiciously. 

"Well, this side trip is not a part of my plan. It just happened", said Ash, highlighting the fact he was initially not in Ecruteak for the purpose of tracking down Goh. 

"Oh". 

Goh was a little crestfallen but Ash, upon seeing the sadness taken over his lover's face, immediately corrected himself, "but that doesn't mean I don't have the intention to seek you out. I did hope to see you here". 

"So, why are you in Ecruteak?" asked Hau. 

"Well, it's a trade secret that I cannot clarify it's trueness". 

"Were you planning to find Ecruteak weakness to conquer it?" asked Goh, eyeing Ash with a pointed look. Ash didn't give a direct answer. Instead, he just looked to the side to avoid looking at Goh directly. 

"So, I'm right…."

"He will benefit it the most", agreed Hau. "After Celadon, your next target will be GoldRoad, am I to assume this correctly? Then it only made sense that you have come here to learn more about Ecruteak to expand here", asked Hau. 

"Like I told you before, I can't clarify this information with a party outside of Yadon's regime", said Ash, his tone changing to one that assumed authority. 

"However, I am not saying I am not open to negotiation", said Hau, "which of you offer a better proposition or have come to a united decision will have my favour". 

"I will put you in power. What better offer can you ask for?" asked Goh. 

"And the Emperor obviously disagrees", said Hau, pointing at Ash who had closed his eyes, his eyebrows knitted and his arms folded across his chest. "Can you overcome it? This is no small strife. Why don't the two of you discuss it and come to a conclusion that benefits all", said Hau. 

He stood and left the cave. 

Hau was right. If all of them had conflicting interests, this might not end well for all of them. They might love each other but there was an obvious friction in their political viewpoints. 

"What are you aiming for?" asked Goh, studying the face of the Emperor who was looking squarely at him. 

"A total checkmate". 

Goh shivered when Ash's eyes hardened as he spoke of it. 

"Of what?" 

"Do you have to ask me that?" asked Ash back at him. 

"I thought you said that I am just a side trip?" 

"Everything that I am doing in my wake and in my sleep, everything I have done until today, never strays from you. You're always in my sight, my final goal. The wars I've fought, majority of them were for you", said Ash. 

"I don't understand…" 

"I will walk the earth from South to North to hold you in my hand. Even if it means to enclose all of your perimeter, I will do it". 

"You plan to surround my kingdom…"

"Goh… what will you do?" asked Ash. "Would you surrender and let go or would you fight me?" 

"Equal. That's what I want. I want to be your equal".

"Then what will you do?" 

"I'll win you over. You'll let me have my way. You'll let me put Hau in power and have him join my side", Goh whispered, the conquest of power didn't stop just because a man wanted him this badly. 

"Really and why is that?" asked Ash, leaning forward. 

"Because you know the only way to me is by giving what I really want. Being your equal", said Goh, his face inches away from Ash. 

"Huh, smartass", Ash's voice was husky, his eyes half lidded. What a pain in the ass this one was. Since when had he fallen so much to even agree to something that ruined his war plan? 

"Heh, you can't win this, Sir Emperor", Goh grinned. He didn't know that he had this much power over the emperor until now. 

"Don't abuse it too often or I might really go after your kingdom". 

The kiss was hasty at first and one piece after another started to be discarded on the floor. The cave floor was cold and hard but their temperature just kept rising up. One moment, they were in front of each other and the next moment, Goh was kneeled over Ash. 

Ash curled his fingers around Goh's length as his lover bit his shoulder to hide the sound of his voice. It was autumn and Ash's hand emitted the kind of biting touch that benumbed his nerves. Having come from the tropic country, the chill seeped into Ash's skin that it lacked warmth and it was stimulating. 

His whine rippled in Ash's ears, urging the young emperor to quicken his kneading motion. The thumb that pressed through the growing length also skimmed the dripping precum, smearing it till it was wet. 

"Cumming!" Goh bit his lips as he felt his lower half shook as he let it off on Ash's top.

"Enough?" asked Ash but Goh shook his head. 

"Then let's go somewhere else. Hau is going to flip out if he sees this", said Ash, smooching Goh's chin. 

Both of them had seriously gone out of their minds. Neither knew if the heart should take over their sound judgement but at the moment, they allowed it to happen. 

Meanwhile, Hau shook his head as he knew what was going on inside his cave. They were trying to be subtle but it was a cave and sound echo. 

"Hahhhhh….. I better let the air in". 

\--------

In a shady grove in Vermillion Kingdom, near the lake, with no dedicated trail into it, a wooloo was stranded among the bones of its friends. Right at the center of it, an injured person, parts of his body covered by wyvern scales, coughed the blood of the wooloo he had consumed on the previous nights. His golden eyes dilated when his eyes fell onto the only remaining wooloo. 

"Pokemons blood offered too little for healing", he said before vomiting the red liquid in front of him. The wooloo saw how its friends were torn flesh to bone by the wyvern but by the way he was digging his hands into the soil, it made the wooloo's heart tugged with sympathy. 

"Woooo", it cautiously approached the wyvern human, looking at the deep wound marks that wouldn't stop bleeding. Where had this wyvern came from and how did he get this injured?

"Brother…" he sobbed before coughing more blood. 

The wooloo had decided. His friends might have been killed but it could be said that the rest of them were already raised for the table spread of the human so helping the poor wyvern would not make wrong what was already wrong. The wyvern just made the display more obvious, that was all. It slid itself underneath the wyvern's shoulder and tried to get him atop of his white wool, now probably smeared with the blood of the wyvern and its brothers. 

The wooloo dragged it into the lake grove, hoping to find help in it. "Woooo….." 

Anyone? It walked further, its knees bent a little at the weight of the wyvern. Soon, the sun was above their heads but it couldn't find help. It wasn't until a Gible stomped out a bush, startling the Wooloo that it had its first encounter of pokemon that lived in the lake grove. 

"Woolooo", it told the Gible about the wyvern human. The Gible, its mouth hanging open, stood there like a statue. Wooloo wondered if its words got across the baby dragon pokemon. 

Gible bounced twice before turning. 

"Giburu!" it said, asking the Wooloo to follow it. It was a straight path from there where they walked underneath the arching root, passing small river streams and at the end of the path, they walked into a nest full of garchomps, garbites, gibles and eggs. They were all casting the sharp looks at the wooloo. 

"Woolooooo", it whined in fear but kept itself standing to keep the wyvern human from falling down. 

"Giburu, gib, gib", the gible that brought them there, explained to the dragon pokemons. The rest of them listened to it and two garbites lifted the wyvern human and laid it on a piece of rock with a strange green glow. 

"Gib gib", the Gible explained to the wooloo that the magic rock would heal the Wyvern human. Vermillion Kingdom was blessed with a number of magical minerals that could heal severe injuries. 

The wooloo sat at the side of the wyvern human, watching the wounds healing. It was a slow process that even when the evening came, only the none serious one was scabbing while the major injuries were still repairing. 

All the time the wyvern human was passed out, he kept calling for his brother. The brother he was calling must have been a precious person for him to be distressing over him. 

"Brother…" there it was again but Wooloo felt compelled to sit there by the wyvern human side. 

It hoped that its presence would offer him a form of comfort. 

\-----------

" _I'm injured_ ", a child Wyvern showed his bloody claws at the adult Wyvern while trying to hold back his tears. He transformed out of the Wyvern form to a human child form. The adult dragon too followed suit and returned to his human shape. 

" _Come here, Hop. Let me take a look_ ", said the adult Wyvern, calling forth for the child to come to him. 

" _Let's see… That's quite a deep wound you got there but you'll be alright because I'm here_ ", he reassured Hop and healed the wound with the breath of the dragon. 

" _You're the best brother I ever had_ ", Hop said, amazed that the wound was gone after the treatment given by the adult Wyvern. He hugged the legs of his brother, feeling secured to be around him. 

They were orphan Wyverns and for as long as Hop had known, he only knew his brother. He was Hop's father, his brother and his friend, as well as the true leader of the Wyvern's pack. 

Then one day, he remembered waking up to an empty nest and his brother was gone. He learnt that day his brother's sacrifice was returned with banishment of the Wyverns. Down into the underground prison they went, locked in there for supposingly eternity . 

Hop couldn't exactly remember the escape he made from the prison. Everything was blurry but he remembered losing a lot of blood and tormented in an unquantified pain that he wondered how he managed to escape the eyes of the prison guards after being chased for weeks. 

When he arrived at a lake, barricaded by a magic border that could hide him, he was desperate to find remedy to his hunger and deep injuries. He remembered how his lust for blood was extremely heightened, how he tore whatever flesh he could grab hold onto - he never lost his mind once in the prison like he did at the lake. 

When he came to, his sight was blurry at first but when he readjusted, he saw a Gible and a Wooloo looking right at him. How long had it been since he saw a Pokemon? A millenia years? 

"Giburu!" the Gible cried out in excitement. "Giburu, gib gib!" 

"Woolooooooo", the Wooloo was saying to the Gible but Hop didn't talk Pokemon and so he remained clueless of the context of their conversation.

"Giburu, Giburu!" the Gibble danced, swinging its hip when Hop sat up. 

"I guess you're happy that I'm alive", said Hop. 

"Gib gib!" it pointed at the Wooloo. 

"Woolooooo", the Wooloo blushed a bright shade of red. Hop tried his best to translate their words. From the way the Gible was pointing at the Wooloo and with how red its woolen fur was, the Wooloo must have been the one to save him. 

"Thank you, Wooloo", said Hop. 

"Wooloooooooooooooo". 

"I guess you are saying don't sweat it". 

"Gib gib", Gible jumped onto him, pulling Hop's hand. Hop turned his palm to see that the injury was gone. Could it be? 

He looked down and saw the stone he was sitting on was glowing green. He assumed that it was the magic coming out from the stone that was healing him. Where was he at? The glowing magic was a possible sign that he was in an area occupied by Magicians. Magicians often crowd the area that was blessed with magic. 

A long time ago, a millenia old hatred was eating him from the inside. Now, it just amplified. 

"I'm in the thankless wretch's territory", his words dripped with loathing - it tasted bitter. 

A long time ago, if they would have just finished the witch, then his brother's sacrifice wouldn't be wasted and the Wyvern would still be flying free. 

But Hop wasn't there to waste his time on getting revenge. What can a lone Wyvern do to change anything? 

Instead, he wanted to find the sword that was made from his brother's flesh, heart, bone and blood. 

The sword that was created from Leon's sacrifice. 


	17. Foreigner in the Magic Land

Drake, a Diamond ranking knight, studied the endless lake while he stood on the footprint that was created in the marsh. Flannery and Chloe were measuring the size of the footprint. It was something they had never seen before and it was beyond comprehension of their mind. 

"Do you think it's a legendary pokemon that caused this?" asked Chloe. 

"It could be…. but it attacked the wooloo farm. It might not be a pokemon", said Flannery, a Gold rank knight that was close to getting her Diamond rank recognition. 

"Flannery's deduction is not too far off", said Drake. When Chloe looked at them with confusion in her eyes, Drake explained. 

"Flannery is right that a pokemon will not bear animosity towards a pokemon but it's not just that. If a legendary had appeared here, they couldn't be hiding in the lake or on the surface since their body length is more than the depth of the lake. Also, the intrusion would have attracted other mythical, say, Mew and we would have seen it react to it". 

"Ah… that's a sensible explanation",said Chloe. Mew residing in Vermillion was a well known knowledge among the high ranked knights. 

"But if it isn't a pokemon, I wonder what creature that could've made this footprint", said Flannery. 

"The only way to find out is for us to go to the other side of the lake. The farmer's account of seeing it flying there could be a clue", said Drake. 

"But it will take two days to go around it",said Chloe. They couldn't be wasting two day only to lose the track. 

"Not to worry! I have just the ride for us. Salamence!" Drake called towards the sky. 

The two girls tilted their heads towards the sky and saw a blue dragon pokemon descending from the sky. When it landed, strong wind was created from the flap of its wings. Flannery and Chloe dug their heels into the ground to keep upright from tumbling down. 

"Come on, girls, hop on!" he urged them to climb after him.

Chloe sat behind Flannery and soon they took off to the sky. Salamence glided through the air as they got a bird eye view of the area. Looking from above, they could see a clearer shape of the footprint. Where they had been standing took the shape of claws. 

"From above, it resembles a dragon pokemon claw", said Flannery. 

"Good observation but unlike a dragon pokemon claws, the shape of the paws looks like human fingers and there are five digits", said Drake. 

"Wait, I think I saw something", said Chloe pointing at the site next to the lake. Drake directed Salamence to descent towards the location Chloe mentioned. 

The stench of blood invaded their noses. They recoiled from the sight of wooloo's corpses and bones littered the site. Pests had begun to form colonies and dried out blood caked on some parts of the soil. Some of the corpses were bloated and emitted gas that stunk up the area. 

Chloe had to hold her breath to withstand the stench. She could taste the bitterness of it in her mouth and it really chipped on her will to stay long there. 

"Looking at the scene here, I believe none of the wooloos survived the attack", said Flannery. 

"But here, there isn't any footprint. Look at the clawing mark on these wooloos. They are shredded with claw marks the size of our hands", said Chloe. 

"There's two possibilities. One, the creature has a family, babies perhaps. Or, the creature is able to transfigure radically from a huge creature to a smaller one. If there is a family, there should still be a footprint but that has been erased here or it never existed",said Drake.

"It's most likely a creature that can shape shift", said Flannery. 

Drake tightened the belting of his sheath. "Well, there is only one way to find out! Into the Groves we go!" 

Flannery and Chloe followed the Diamond ranked knight, their hands never leaving their swords. 

_ Just what is this creature?  _

\----------

Flannery was a Gold rank knight that was well respected in the cavalry. She was one of the few knights whose magic was only adequate for battle support but in terms of battle skill, she was the ballerina of the battlefield. Chloe had heard tales of her bravery and now that the icon herself was in the team, she could understand why Flannery was the idol in the Cavalry. 

She was precise in her executions. Didn't matter what she was doing, she would always take a step back, carefully analyzing before planning for a battle action. Drake was also a famed man himself. He was a legend in his own lifetime. He fought hundreds of battles in the past and while he had a carefree attitude, he wasn't careless. 

His charisma eased the fear in their heart and brought the team to focus on their search. It was easy to work with him, easy to listen to his order. Despite his old age, he oozed with energy that could shame the younglings. 

They had found a trail of something being dragged into the groves. The shadow dancing from the shaking of the trees casted over them, their eyes searching for other signs that could help down their search. The sound of something moving in the bush caught their attention. Drake nudged it with his sheathed sword and a Gible scurried out from it. 

"What is a tiny thing like you doing in the bush?" he asked but held his breath when he heard the branches over them rustling. He deducted, in his humor, that the Gible was a decoy. 

"Salamence, tackle!" he cried and the Salamence that had been flying in the shadows emerged from it, chasing after the sound they heard. 

Flannery and Chloe watched the dragon Pokemon fluidly evaded the trees and slammed its head onto something. The sound of branches falling resounded in the grove and they ran towards it. What they found was a Salamence holding captive a man, one that was bare from any clothings, underneath its paws. 

"What do we have here?" asked Drake, encroaching closer to the pokemon. "A young lad. Look at that!" he said in an amused tone. 

The man opened his mouth to speak but the words he used sounded foreign to everyone there. 

"I guess, you're lost, young one. What are you doing in this part of the kingdom? But I guess, you won't be able to answer my musings either since you speak a different language than us", said Drake. The Gible and surprisingly a wooloo came out from their hiding and began to tackle the Salamence. The team noticed the blood stains on the wooloo and some wounds still healing on the young man. 

"I think he might have saved the wooloo from the creature", mused Chloe. 

"Hm… I guess there is a noble heart around here. Your highness, why don't you bring him to the capital? Flannery and I can continue the work here. Take Salamence with you. It will come back for me later" said Drake. Drake took off his cloak and handed it to the young man. 

The man looked at the cloak, probably unsure what to do with it. "Put it over yourself. You can't be walking in the capital without clothes on". Drake showed what he meant, wrapping it around himself to demonstrate to the young man. When it was taken from him, the young lad wrapped it around himself. 

Chloe, the young man, wooloo and gible mounted the back of Salamence. Drake and Flannery continued to find traces that could help them to locate the creature. 

"It's odd isn't it? The young man can move easily from trees to trees above us. He is suspicious", said Flannery, highlighting it to Drake. 

"You are quite right Flannery. I think we've found our target", said Drake, answering to Flannery's thoughts. 

"He is?" she asked back. 

"He spoke in a foreign language that had not been used anywhere. The world as we live now, everywhere we go, humans speak in Reinard Language System but he doesn't seem to understand us at all. Now, I might not be a linguist myself but I know a man who could help us to see what language he is using. His name is Wulfric, a man who wouldn't stop searching for knowledge on languages. He lives across my house", said Drake. 

"So, you have suspected him from the beginning?" asked Flannery. 

"Not quite. It's just a gut instinct", said Drake. 

The track brought them to Gible, Garbite and Garchomp's nest. Nothing much could be determined there and they stopped their search after finding nothing else that could help them.

When Salamence came back for them, they took off to the Capital.

\--------

The facility that the Salamence landed in, one that had tents put up everywhere, had a lot of men walking around in clothes made of iron. Some were wearing robes and hats with conical crown and wide brim. Those who did wear robes held either a long stick or a staff and Hop sensed that those with staff had a higher magical reservoir. Then those humans must have been Magicians. Then he must be at the centre of their nest. 

He held onto the piece of fabric that was covering him, not shirking an ounce of his guard down. The female human who brought him there didn't cease to stop until she reached a particular tent in a dome shape that was bigger and wider than the others. Gible and Wooloo stood by his side, looking up at the huge tent with awe. 

"High General Hodge", she said, walking into the tent and gesturing to Hop and the pokemons to come in with her hand.

"Your Highness and… oh, who is this?" 

"A foreigner. We found him in the grove by the lake. Knight Flannery and Drake are looking into tracking the creature", Chloe reported. 

"A foreigner?" asked Hodge. They were talking about him, Hop thought but he couldn't understand a single word they were saying. Had the earth changed so much after the banishment of the Wyvern? 

"Can you provide him some clothing? He is not wearing anything underneath the cloak", said Chloe. 

They called for a squire boy to dress Hop up. After that, they made him sit in front of them. He felt like he was in a court of judgement with the way they were studying him. 

"How can he not understand us? We have standardised the language system for thousands of years. Even the spirits and pokemons can talk in our language", said Hodge. 

"Technically, they are using telepathy so it can be the reason why some of us can understand them", said Chloe. 

"Hmm…" Hodge wondered why a bloodstained Wooloo and a Gible were there with the foreign man. 

"We should have Lord Cinderace help us with the communication. At least we can still find out from these two", said Hodge, pointing at the two pokemons. Gible jumped onto the desk and growled at Hodge. 

"Pretty worked up, aren't you?" asked Hodge at the Gible, poking its squishy face a couple of times. 

"Woolooooo!!" 

"Giburuuuu!!!" 

The two pokemons were being rather protective of the foreigner. Hodge lifted his hands as a sign of peace. "Not that I am going to do anything to him. If he is not found related to the massacre of the wooloos". 

Wooloo had the eyes that told Hodge they were pretty much involved in the incident. 

"I think we should lock them up. All of them are suspects at the moment", said Hodge, grinning. "Maybe it's the wooloo that killed his brothers". 

"You're just messing with them, mou!" scolded Chloe. "Plus, we believe it to be a shapeshifter creature, not a human or pokemons". 

"Shapeshifter huh? Then why should we isolate them from the suspect pool? It could be anyone of them", asked Hodge when Chloe further added the detail in. 

".... You actually have a point, High General Hodge",said Chloe. "We don't know which one of them could be a shapeshifter. Maybe we should put them in the dungeon". 

Gible and Wooloo ran to each of Hodge's sides and began to ram their heads on both Hodge's sides. Hodge grabbed the two by their heads to stop them from attacking him. 

"Fine. Why don't you come and stay with me, foreigner? You can bring your pokemon friends too since I have a spare room", said Hodge. Plus, the dungeon had limited space and the dungeon master would kill him if he pegged the wrong person as guilty without investigating the matter thoroughly and filling up the dungeon space quota for when they truly needed it. 

Hop blinked at him, wondering what was going on. 

"Are you sure about this?" asked Chloe. 

"I'll keep watch on them until we can narrow down the culprit. I'm sure it's one of these three. Especially that wooloo. I have my eyes on you", Hodge gestured his threat to the wooloo. The wooloo jumped behind Hop and stuck its tongue out. 

Hop looked at them back and forth - whatever it was, he knew the humans here had sharp instincts. 

_ If I don't get out now, I'll be in trouble.  _


	18. Our First Meeting

Walking past the bound of Vermillion castle and into the forest in its backyard, on a night when it was raining heavily, was a hooded woman. Using the dark as her advantage, she hid her movement in it as she looked for the golden flower described in the note she had received from the messenger. The insignia for the followers of the witch. 

Ensuring that no one was following her, she purposefully used a windy way, looking for the flower until she finally found it. The golden flower was in the hand of a hooded person who was waiting for her. She knew the man, the one who cried news that pleased their ears. 

When she approached him, he quickly hid the flower inside his cloak. 

"Tania, the halfling of Viridian, it's been a while since we last met", said the man in the hood. A halfling meant that she was born with Viridian and Vermillion parents. 

"Marcus, a greeting for you too", said Tania, addressing her fellow followers with respect. 

Marcus was not only the little bird flying in the dark, he was also there to gather information about their progress. The assignment that was given to her was to keep watch on the witch until the preparation was completed. It may take months to years before they could move with the plan. 

"Are you keeping an eye on the witch?" asked Marcus. 

Marcus didn't need to ask. The witch was the only thing that stole her body and soul. Her eyes would never leave her. 

"Always. She is flawless, Marcus. I couldn't believe that after millions of years, we are able to see her in this life", said Tania with repulsive obsession in her eyes. 

"The witch is the only rightful ruler of the world. We should be grateful for her existence. Truly, with her power, we will all be pardoned and lifted". 

"Praise to the witch", said Tania and Marcus repeated after her but Marcus wasn't only there to listen about the witch. He also brought news from Viridian, one that needed to be informed to all of the followers. 

"My dear Tania, I bear good news and that's what brought me here".

"Let me take a guess!!! Is your news about the Snow Queen decoction?" 

Snow Queen decoction- a tool that was in creation by the main headquarters to take control, to poison and freeeze the heart of those who consume it. To make them forget and to breathe a new life into them 

"The Snow Queen decoction is entering the first phase of the experiment. Tomorrow night, High Priest Arlos will conduct the first consumption on the human body. We have chosen a specimen to be tested on and if this is successful, imagine the power Viridian will have", said Marcus, picturing the colonies that would be controlled by the witch's followers. 

Tania giggled excitedly. They had heard about the Snow Queen being created for nearly a year and now that it was going through testing, it must be close to completion. Like Marcus said, they would be gaining power and influence. The witch followers would stand behind the witch and her future brethren, their loyalty unwavering as they brought despair in every corner of the world. 

Like how in the past they'd created havoc all over the place, they'll resume it in the present. 

"Remember, contain your excitement Tania. Until we are ready to act, put up a front and hold onto it. Your priority is to keep an eye on the witch and keep me informed",Marcus reminded her.

"Do not worry about me. I will do anything to make the witch in power again", she said, depicting her loyalty in her words. When there was nothing else to be said between them, they left the location and assumed their persona again. 

\--------

"Ehem! Ehem!" Ash cleared his throat a couple of times. Since two nights ago when they were talking about having a meeting with the Vermillion sides, he had butterflies in his stomach. All those talking had made him feel like the world would turn upside down if he didn't make the right first impression. It didn't matter who was behind the crystal ball - all of them were close to Goh and equally important. 

"If you keep clearing your throat like you're having a sore throat, your voice is going to be hoarse", said Goh, amused at Ash's uneasiness. 

"There's a few things here. One, I never see a crystal ball or talk with one and two, I don't know who I'd be talking to". 

"Well, you're in for surprises then", said Goh, smirking at him. He had asked Acerola to appoint a time last night with the Vermillion side and to prepare something for him before that. 

A crystal ball was a magic item that sustained its own magical lifecycle. It took magic from the surrounding and used it to open up a network that linked to another crystal ball to allow communication between two places. How did it know which to connect to? It was based on the thoughts of the user. 

Goh placed his hand on the crystal ball and it glowed a white shade. They waited for a few seconds to let the other side of the network to tap on it to answer. 

"Mummyyyyy!!!!" Levi's face entered the crystal ball and Goh laughed at the boy's excitement at seeing him. 

"It's papa", he corrected him. Levi took a while to process before directing his attention to Ash who was gawking with his jaw hung open. It was cute to see him blinking curiously at Ash and he cooed to figure out who the person next to Goh was. 

His face changed to that of recognition. 

"Papapapapapapa!" the boy clapped and Goh looked at Ash. Now it was his turn to be surprised. 

"How does he know?" asked Goh but Levi squealed and stretched his arms, trying to take the crystal ball from the table. 

"No, Levi. Don't try to grab it!" they heard Chloe scolding the boy. 

The two watched Levi endeavoured to get off Chloe who was holding him, flailing his feets actively. She stepped away from the crystal ball so that it was out of his reach. When he couldn't grab it, he hummed to himself, sputtering his drool in between the tune, shocking everyone in the process as glowing light emitted around him. 

"I think he is just calming himself down. He often does this and just behaves better after that", said Kurune from the side. 

"Mother, you knew?" asked Goh. 

"We found out about it when you left for Ecruteak", explained Ikuo. 

Goh had been studying magic for years and excelled at it. He memorized all the types of magicians that had been identified in his kingdom. Each one of them had differences in ways they emited their energy and Levi had shown one of the attributes that was unique to a Life Force Magician. 

"How does he know the song?" he heard Ash asked beside him. 

"What song?" asked Goh. 

"The song he was humming, that's my mum's lullaby", said Ash, "I often sing it to Bella whenever I am back in Saffron when she has trouble sleeping". 

"I-I'm not sure. I never heard of him singing it. Not until today", answered Goh. His response was lukewarm, still stalling for time to let them sink in.

Now that he discovered Levi's magical attribute, then Aria…. 

"Didn't you say Aria is a witch?" asked Goh, reminded of the night the tribe men were doing the Veil of the Night Ritual.

"Yeah, isn't that what you called a female magician?" asked Ash. 

"We only use the term magician for male and female. A witch is different", explained Goh.

He had seen it with his own eyes in the Pallet Temple when Celebi brought him to the past. Until today, he couldn't forget the terror he had experienced from just standing in the boundary of her power. 

"Where's Aria, mother?" asked Goh when his mother came into view. 

Kurune had her interest elsewhere, at Ash who had stopped processing a while ago. 

"Is that the Emperor?" she asked. 

"Y-yes, mother". 

"Owh, look at him. You should break this slowly to him, Goh. Poor thing is shocked!" 

"G-Good morning, Her Royal Highness". 

"Owh, you must want to see your little princess! Hold on, let me just adjust her position. She's still sleeping. Unlike Levi, this one snoozes until she's hungry", Kurune tilted Aria's position upwards. "Can you see her?"

"Yes! I also love sleeping. Ten hours. Does she also sleep ten hours? "Ash blurted nervously. 

"Oh, so that's from you! Maybe more than ten hours. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree", laughed Kurune. "I always wonder which one of Goh's relatives she takes after but now I know this is exclusively on her father's side". 

"Mummy!!!!" they heard Levi whined at the back, asking for attention. 

"Mother, can you put Levi on?" asked Goh. Kurune side steps to allow Chloe and Levi close to the crystal ball. 

"Now Levi, papa have some work to do". 

"Mummy!" 

"Did he just correct you?" Ash snickered, getting over his initial shock. 

"I don't appreciate you poking a mullock at me, Ash. Anyway, be a good boy, Levi and don't cause trouble to Aunt Chloe, grandmama and grandpapa. Alright?" 

"No!" 

Goh tightened his lips and scratched his head.  _ When will he learn how to say yes?  _

"I'll take care of him, His Majesty. Hodge will fill me in afterwards", said Chloe. 

"Thank you, your highness". 

Chloe and Kurune said their goodbyes and left the meeting room. Once they left, it was only then the other participants were allowed to enter the room.. From here onwards, it would be a meeting about the war strategy to take back Ecruteak from the grip of despair in its sky front. 

"Ash, let's discuss about the twins when we're alone. I want to talk to you about something", said Goh, before starting the meeting. They had to make sure that both of their twins were safe from harm.

\---------

Inside the cave, there was Hau, Ash, Goh, High Magician Ren and Acerola. On the Vermillion side, there were Lord Cinderace, General Brock, High General Hodge, Prime Minister Visquez, High Priestess Chrysa and the interim king, His Royal Highness Ikuo. There were eleven in total the people involved in the meeting and it was more than enough. 

"Let's start the meeting", said Goh, chairing the meeting. It was convened in a manner that was almost informal but contained all the necessary parties to have the assembly. 

A more formal meeting would be much like how Ash used to where the people involved would be summoned to the court and depending on the capital's style, they would either have parliament chairs or just the ministers standing on the government or opposition sides. 

Well, given the place he was at, this much was to be expected but he liked it, sitting in a casual manner without having to prepare for palace court's etiquettes. 

"Let me introduce the people that are with me", said Goh, "this is Ash, the Emperor of Yadon Empire. The one next to him is Hau, the leader of the tribes in Ecruteak's mountain". 

"Yo!" Hau greeted them with a grin.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, interim King Ikuo", said Ash, bowing his head to show courtesy. 

"... Don't forget to come and visit us in Vermillion", replied Ikuo even though he was still unsure how to react to the whole situation. Goh rubbed his nose and then cleared his throat while Hau laughed at them. No one could really tell what Brock was thinking while Cinderace just shook his head. They were worried for nothing. 

Goh let the Vermillion's side to introduce themselves. They went around the circle, telling Hau and Ash of their name and their position responsibilities. When the last person, Chrysa, sat back on her chair, Goh commenced the matters they were going to discuss. 

"We have come together at this moment to devise a strategy that would allow us to overturn the current regime of King Morty. Ecruteak, as I have witnessed, is just like how Intellion has stated in the previous report. The situation here requires a kind of reconstruction that would help lift the poverty from the citizens of Ecruteak.

Hau has affirmed that he is indeed the grandson of King Hala and he had agreed, with conditions that he would be allowed to lead the kingdom and restructured it, to join our war effort in accomplishing the objective". 

"What is the objective of this war?" asked General Brock. 

Ash stopped Goh from answering the question and intervened, "As for Yadon Empire, our part is to provide military support to an ally nation. Whether they are heading into a battle of their own or whether it was for protecting their land, we join forces as we see fit", Ash replied. 

"But our men must make a lot of preparation before going into a battle of this scale, your excellency", said Brock. 

"Then send a letter of high importance to High General Kukui for additional support. Tell him we require the air force for Ecruteak's support as well as ground units that need to be deployed as soon as they reach Ecruteak's border. I predict there would be a wave heading towards Vermillion from there. In the meantime, build the skill tiers of your current units and assess their competency", said Ash. 

"Understood, Your Excellency". 

It was the first time Goh had witnessed how quick witted Ash was when it came to battle planning. This man obviously knew his wars like the back of his hand. He looked away when Ash let him continue from where he left off, trying to hide his admiration. 

"This war will enable us to swap the ruler of Ecruteak. That's why I am here and Hau is honored to be replacing King Morty. Now onto the strategy. Hau will gather the tribe groups that are going to invade Ecruteak's castle. They are going to head through the mountainous route that ends up not too far from the capital. However, there were a number of military camps situated near the castle. These information have been obtained from my guide, Marnie".

"Do we have rough ideas of the size of the army units in each camp?" asked Hodge. 

"At the moment, we have not investigated this yet but Ash, Hau and I are planning to descend the mountain in three days to the camp on the east side of the capital. According to Marnie, this is the biggest campsite for the military", said Goh. 

"I should be going with you as your magic knight, His Majesty", said Acerola. 

"I'd be getting my magic back once we go down the mountain and so I should be able to handle this on my own. In the meantime, we need you to go with Marnie and Gladion to the North camp. Manza, Lillie and Ren will be heading to the South camp". 

"What about the West camp?" asked Hau. 

"Marnie told me that it had been abandoned for a while now. We should be fine without looking at it", said Goh. Then Hodge had an idea. 

"Why don't we make a base camp in the West one?" 

"Elaborate, High General Hodge", said Goh. 

"Just a clarification, are we still secretly making a base in Ecruteak, His Majesty?" 

"Yes", said Goh. 

"Then since the west one is empty, we can use the location as a place for us to keep our own soldier units. The forest location would be far from the capital and thus, while we are heading there, they could be preparing to counter attack us but if we snuck people in and moved from the West camp, then they would be forced to rush their deployment, making planning nearly impossible",explained Hodge. 

"I agree with General Hodge on this one", said Brock. 

"I am too seconding that notion, His Majesty", said Visquez who had been quiet for a while. Hodge's proposal would work in their favour. 

"But we will be running into the risk of getting uncovered",said Goh. 

"Don't worry about that, my king. Leave that to me", said Acerola. 

"Sometimes, there are risks worth taking, my son", said Ikuo. 

"They'll be alright but the ball is in your court", agreed Ash. 

They were all waiting for him. 

"It's decided then. We'll make the west base ours after collecting intel". 


	19. NSFW -  In the Autumn Breeze

Autumn was a season that Ash never thought he would like. When he visited other kingdoms when he was younger, he often found it dreary with all the fallen leaves and ominous seasonal flowers. Things were different when he was in Ecruteak. The autumn sonata lulled the day away as he walked behind the man he had been searching for, one that filled the gap he never thought he had. 

Goh was clueless. Clueless to how deep his feelings go. He never knew falling hard was a fall that never ended. A fall that would never see the bottom. The rose that bloomed carried a heavy scent, an aromatic one that guided him to whom he wanted to be with. 

He smiled. Inspiration took over his mind and so he said, 

"For what it's worth,

For a love so deep, 

I'll carry it everywhere in my grasp. 

To the celestial body, I'll bring, 

To the stars I'll lift it. 

This tender moment on the cloud, 

When no one else is around, 

This moment of tenderness in the rainbow, 

With only us catching the dream. 

It's so white and pure, 

Like the dew that drips

That this I cannot see, 

For what it's worth, 

A life far from here".

Goh never knew that Ash was capable of such poetry. He was caught off guard when the words strung to life that he couldn't will himself to move. The words reached him, chained him and made him stay. He couldn't, for what it's worth, moved away. 

"What brings this about?" asked Goh. It was right after the meeting. They were heading to the waterfall, to have a leisure time together before the mission. He didn't expect to hear a poem, a beautiful one and yet ringing with its longing. 

"I always hated Autumn but today, in the midst of its coolness, I am completed", said Ash. 

"It was beautiful but it sounded as if you're crying", said Goh. 

"Perhaps, something inside me is". Ash's chest didn't have enough room to fill it all but it squeezed, trying to fit everything in without suffocating him. 

"I don't want to wake up and see myself in a dream. I want it all to be real. It scares me". 

"I only have my longing for you. I am holding it all by a thread. If it snaps, I will probably mourn until the day I die. I'm scared too", said Ash. He went ahead and linked their hands together. "You have given me a beautiful life. I, for what it's worth, will not let you go". 

"Say that again when it's my turn to go",said Goh. 

"Hah, I'll go first before you do. My love is so strong I could die". 

"Pft. Really? Does it measure to this mountain?"

"You'll never see the apex for its a world above the clouds", Ash pointed a finger at the sky. "And you have to dive deep to find the base. And you'll have to cross the lava to find the heat". 

"Write it down. I'll keep them in my drawer later". 

"So that you can swoon while I'm away?" 

"No, they'll probably sit in the drawer until I am old". 

"Then, I'll write a treasure that you'll regret for not reading it first". 

"I won't abandon it and there won't be any regret". 

Ash pulled him closer. "Then, I should start writing plenty. Who knows? It might ease your heart to know that I will always love you". 

Goh's fingers melded tighter. "Who knows?" he whispered and leaned his head on Ash's shoulder.

They both wanted to sink into the abyss together. 

_Perhaps, I will try submitting._

\----------------

Ash tilted the clay pot, checking the content inside. A lot of them were filled to the brim with dry mixture of herbs and the ones that were tied up had traces of spice on them and he took a guess that it was for the spice powder. He was looking for a specific item and needed at least a good amount of it. A middle aged lady of the tribe saw him give a once over at the pottery contents and began to ask. 

"Do you need help with anything, young man?" she asked. 

Ash rubbed his nose, having caught sneaking around the kitchen storage area. At first, he wanted to desert his search and leave but the lady looked friendly and she might be able to assist him. He decided to ask instead. 

"This might come out of nowhere but do you have some sort of oil for umm, lubrication?" he asked carefully. 

"For the back?" she asked and Ash nodded sheepishly. 

"Which one is the one taking? You or your partner?" 

"I guess that would be me tonight. I mean, I believe in equality and we should have equal turns so I should ah, at least try to bottom since I took the lead last time we were together". 

"Ahhh…. Do you know how to take it?" 

"It's my first time, madam". Can this conversation get anymore awkward? 

"Ahh… I see that you need more than just the lube. Then I will tell you how",she said, rummaging the herbs and putting some leaves in the grinding tablet. She mashed them together and mixed some water in them, squeezing the fluid from the herbs. She poured the dark green mixture in a bowl. 

"Drink", she said, giving him the bowl. Ash took the bowl and gulped it down. The taste was very green, like its colour, he noted. 

"This will clear your stomach after meal. If you need to go then you will. Don't fight nature's calls and just let it clear everything. Then, take this oil extract and give it a thorough washing. When you are ready, make sure to prepare it. Try to test the water on your own first", she said, guiding him on the steps to do it. 

"... You mean to say that I will be getting stomachache from this?" 

"Yes".

"That's a handful of preparation!" 

"But the key thing to remember is to relax. It won't hurt if you do it correctly". The woman spoke of wisdom. Like it wasn't her first time taking it at the back. She poured some starch and water to make a thick substance. 

"Use this starch as lubricant. It's better for the back. Also, better shoot it outside". 

"Urgh… sure, I'll take note of that", said Ash, taking the necessary provisions given to him. 

And so, the story went that the emperor prepared himself throughout the day out of Goh's view. The river bath was especially hard in Autumn weather and he was shivering throughout the entire process. He built a small pit before entering the river just so that he could warm himself up. 

Unbeknownst to him, the woman who had given him the advice had also been approached by Goh the day before. Now, it wasn't in her place to ruin their surprises but she found it quite hilarious that she had been trying to hide her laughter from Ash. While she was sure they would find out their preference afterwards, it tickled her funny feather greatly. 

"Youngsters nowadays", she shook her head as she moved on to clean the storage room. 

\----------

Goh never had to endure so much time cleaning up his internal system. Ever since last night he had made sure to care for everything, including sanitizing himself at the river then proceeded to have a bath in the hotspring to relax his muscle joints. All of it was in accordance with the instructions given to him by the lady at the storage place (The same lady who had given Ash the advice). 

He was also meditating to help keep himself calm. Now, Goh didn't know how else to have sex since his first experience had been bottoming as a woman. That and he had enjoyed it but at that time, it was different. Yet, he just couldn't get the pleasurable sensations of that day out of his head. 

While it didn't haunt him day and night but he wanted it since the kiss they had at the hotspring. He wanted to have Ash balls deep inside of him. It was such a strange desire but lately with all the kisses and teases, his groin felt a lot hotter. 

He wondered how it would feel like having sex as a man, taking it all the way in his anal. He coated his two fingers with some oil and pressed against the entrance, slowly inserting one finger in before the other. There was a ring area and he touched it, feeling it to get the muscle to relax and once he felt that it could slide easier, he pushed further to explore. It really just felt like something just dug up into his back but it didn't feel unpleasant. 

That was until the tip of his fingers brushed against a lump, one that he never knew existed and he felt his body tremble at it. "umph", he swallowed the sound and tried to roll his fingertip against it. 

"Hmphhh", he bit his lips and took his fingers off. No, he couldn't do this alone. He was too conscious to stimulate the part himself. Too in control when he wanted to just let loose. 

He calmed himself down and put on his clothes. When he walked into their tent, he was taken by surprise when Ash sat facing the entrance on both of his knees. Goh noticed the strangely aromatic preparation inside the tent and looked at him with a dumbfounded face. 

"What's going on?" he asked, not sure what was happening. 

"I want to get lost with you", answered Ash, calling Goh forth with his finger. Goh's heart drummed forcefully against his ribcage but he wasn't lying if he said that this wasn't turning him on. 

He pushed Ash onto his back, earning a questioning look from his partner. At first Ash thought that Goh had finally found feral in himself but then, he saw how the other stopped for a few seconds, unable to decide on the next thing to do after pushing Ash down. 

"I would like to switch our position…" Ash tried to explain his intention to become the bottom but the King of Vermillion had something else in his mind as he unbuckled the belts holding up his own pants. 

"Silence, I just need you right now and let me take this slowly", said Goh, pooling up the pants to his knees and making one leg bare from it. 

"Huh?" Ash raised his eyebrow, watching in pure awe when Goh discarded his own pants and shucked it off to the other side. His eyes followed where the piece of cloth had landed on, before returning his gaze at the man who had suddenly pushed him down. 

"Get yourself hard", said Goh, running his fingers on Ash's front. Ash let the words sinked in before he finally understood. 

"Wait! I thought I want to give you a chance to top me tonight", Ash tried to stop Goh but received a warning glare from the other that he shall not be disturbed when he was already half way through his preparation. 

"You seriously want to take it", the emperor nervously laughed when he saw how Goh put the finger in his mouth and slid in two fingers easier than before. 

"I never ask you to bottom for me so there. Just get this thing up", he nudged at Ash's pants with his finger. 

"But what if…." 

"No", said Goh. He was going to hog his right as the bottom no matter what Ash said. He never knew how it would feel to take it as a man but if it was anything as close as his first time, he would gladly get drilled than the other way around. 

"Am I going to have to fight you to get the bottoming right?" 

"Do you want it that badly?" 

"No, but I feel it's unfair for you to have you feel vulnerable being taken by a man". 

Goh came closer to Ash and pressed their foreheads together. "First of all, that was nice of you but I am about to find out my preferences in sex and so, kindly let me have this peacefully. Second, I can't feel vulnerable when I'm around the person I love because I feel safer with you. Third, I told you to get your thing up. Can't you tell how badly I want this?"

Ash looked at the way Goh was red faced when he spoke of his opinion. His breathing was uneven as he felt around his inside to get the muscle to stretch further and damn it, Goh was inviting him with his muffled moan when he touched a certain part of himself and his body arched a little at the sensation coursing through his body. 

"I tried this earlier but I just can't unwind myself enough. Not alone at least", admitted Goh. 

Ash's little junior sprung to life at the revelation. 

"Hah, that was fast", Goh eyed the forming tent and peeled the clothes covering it. He reached out for the starchy substance next to Ash and smeared it all over the length. Ash held Goh's waist, his mind growing hazy from the sensuous touch by his partner. 

It was slow but it was a worthwhile wait when Goh slowly inserted the tip into his rim. He breathed and relaxed, letting his muscle to voluntarily expand as he let Ash in. It took some time but when he finally sheathed half of it, he sighed. 

"Should I move or should you move?" Ash whispered next to his ears. 

"Seriously, just move for me. I was stuck like this when I tried to do it myself". 

Right… and here was Ash trying to be seductive… 

"If you insist, His Majesty", said Ash and Goh's eyes widened when he was flipped over and Ash thrust himself forward. His brain could leap out of his head as he felt his fingers coiled at the shock tremoring throughout his body. He never thought he would be this affected when Ash called him that. 

"Why do you have to say that?" he asked, his face grimacing in self indulgence. It was fine with just them calling each other's name but for an Emperor to address him in such a manner, it was like Ash was holding him above his own crown. The thought was arousing. 

He closed his eyes, his head bobbing slightly, following the motion of Ash's thrust. 

Ash pressed against the part that drove Goh's on the edge. 

"Ah, there!" 

"Here?" Ash tried again, angling at the same place where he felt a lump when he moved. 

"Um, haaa, fuck!" 

"Harder?" 

"Faster! Whatever! Ah, you're not angling it right!" Goh scolded when Ash made a sloppy thrust. 

"It seems like His Majesty is pretty spoiled", said Ash between his shuddering breath. 

"Stop it! Stop calling me that!" he said but he wrapped his knees around Ash, giving him a bit more support to enter easier. He gnawed his own fingers with the hand that had the pattern of the ritual sprouted from, trying to stop himself from screaming in pleasure. In the forest where everything was dead quiet, his sound could be heard by everyone if he was too loud. 

Ash brushed Goh's hair backwards and stared into his eyes. 

"My king, I would conquer the world just to have you wrapped around my fingers just like now. Don't you forget this", said Ash, his voice shaky and desperate. Goh's tightened up, imprisoned by the words of Ash's promises. 

"Possessive", Goh laughed. "Certainly, you're above me in power". 

"But you're above me in my heart", said Ash. 

Goh pulled him closer and locked their lips in desperate kisses, drenched in their sweats. His body spasmed as he let out the cum. 

He couldn't tell how long afterwards they stayed connected and whether they passed out from exhaustion or went to sleep normally but by the time he was finally up, he was in Ash's arms, the place where he wanted to be. 

"So I was worried for nothing", he huffed. "If I had known, I would've just told him from the start". 

But he regretted nothing. He was only here because of the series of misfortunes that he faced. 

"I guess, that's just how it is", he sighed and nuzzled into Ash's warmth. 

\-----------

Extra:

Pikachu squeezed its ears tightly as it tried to muffle the moaning coming from the next door tent. 

While Marnie and Acerola put on a cloth around their ears as pre warned by the emperor beforehand, the pokemon's ears were just too long for such things. 

And so it had to bear with it. 

"Pikaaaa". (This is hell). 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note : "I will try submitting" is said by both of them.


	20. Hunting Rites

Lily had never been this far into the forest. Thanks to the military school training, she knew how to handle herself when they were deep in the jungle. The air breeze was refreshing and the sound of the water coming from the mountain was like music to her ears, one that was pleasant. She closed her eyes, revelling in nature's orchestra and while it was all pleasing to her, she discerned a different sound coming from the riverside. 

Lillie went to see who it was and found her big brother kneeling by it, with a twig in his hand as he sloshed the water with a gloom over his head. In fact, he had been like this ever since they arrived at the tribe's place and it worried her. Lillie came to sit next to him only to be shooed away by him but she didn't relent to it and stayed. 

"Go away, Lillie. Can't you tell that I am depressed?" asked Gladion.

"I can see that but I'm staying", she said with determination. "What's on your mind, Gladion?" 

"I just made an oath to marry a savage a few days ago and now he is really on his way to become a fucking king. What else is there to think about, sister?" 

"Hey, I'm trying to be nice! Plus, you're the one who didn't check beforehand! You don't have the right to be angry at me". 

"My life is over!!!" 

"You're so dramatic! Also, you're already a queen so there's not much of a difference is there?" 

"I want to boot out of here", said Gladion, "how can I deal with a fucking savage?" 

"You keep calling him that but I think he is quite an honourable man. He is fighting for the sake of a kingdom that has forsaken him. Although he is a tribe man and a criminal, he is putting himself at the front line".

"He has an ulterior motive". 

"That might be true but you never know when love will come in your way, knocking at your door. Who knows? You might just not know it yet". 

"You sound like you've been in love before. Har har". 

Lillie wondered if she had been in love before. If that moment she had accepted a journey to seek for Chloe's past was what she did because of love. It might have been, she thought, but it was young, brief and painful. 

"I guess she passed away", Lillie's laughter slowly turned into crying. When it happened, when she stood at the graveyard to hear the eulogies and mourning, she could withstand it like a piece of unbroken metal but here and now, while looking at the river flow, while looking at the sunny bright sky and pokemons jumping out of the water, while having to listen to her brother's fretting and while thinking back about the time she fell into the trap of her attraction, her tears just leaked on its own, wetting her supple cheeks and she couldn't stop it. 

"Lillie? Hey, I didn't mean to make you cry", said Gladion, trying to comfort her with his awkward back rub. 

"You don't have to act like you care, stupid brother", she tried to hold back her sobs but her body was shaking from it. 

"I do care. Just sometimes I just complain a lot. You said that I'm a queen yourself". 

"I'm sorry that I said that", apologized Lillie.

"No don't be. That's just how a Lillie is and you can continue to be one", said Gladion. 

"Sometimes, you can be extremely rude, brother", Lillie slapped him on his shoulder. There were times when they would come to an agreement that if they tried hard enough, they would achieve world peace and there were time they could fight like the world would end. 

"I still am irritated about Hau though". 

"Why don't you try getting to know him? You can't find something good in a person if you just stay at the river all day long!" 

"How do you know that I come here everyday?" 

"... I was just saying it as a figure of speech but I guess I nailed it…" 

"What a silly sister I have", groaned Gladion.

"Do you mean what a silly brother I have?" 

"Shut up!" 

\--------

The tribal community had their own rites and rituals for certain events that happened often in life. It was in their belief that the ceremonies had to be carried out for assurance of safety of the tribes' people. When their tribe leader Hau announced that he and Manza would be leaving for an important assignment, they immediately made preparations for the Good Will Hunting Rites. 

They believed that if the men returned with good games from the hunt, they would make a safe return back to their village. So, they picked out the hunters and sharpened their tools to be brought to the hunt. 

To complete the ritual, at least seven men had to participate in the hunt. However, on the morning of the hunt, one of them fell ill, emptying a slot to be taken. Hau rounded up the villagers and summoned for the bravest of them all to join him in the hunting rites. 

"Which man will take up this challenge and fulfil their role as the village champion?" asked Hau to all of them. 

Many of them looked at each other but none made the move to step forward. The Good Will Hunting Rites wasn't just a simple hunt. There were a few rules to it. 

One must not kill a mother with youngsters. 

One must not kill with other weapons besides the tools that had been blessed by the shaman the night before. 

One must not target anywhere else but the heart and one must not kill the animals whose blood isn't red. 

And after the kill, they must pray to the spirits and legendaries for acceptance of their game's soul. 

Unless one had been doing the rituals a few times with the guidance of an elder, it was actually a pretty difficult rite to complete. Especially when the man they were praying for safety was their tribe leader. The responsibility weighed a lot more than can be carried by an amateur. 

"I think this is your chance to unveil Hau's real self, brother", Lillie who had been watching from the sideline used her elbow to prod Gladion. Not too far from them, the emperor and his boyfriend were watching the gathering curiously. They had a different plan to spend their days together before the spying mission and passively watched from the sideline just like how the siblings do it. 

"Huh? Didn't you see how miserable I was at the river the other day?" asked Gladion. 

"You won't know until you try to get to know about him. I told you that, remember?" answered Lillie, reminding him the piece of advice she had given him. 

"No way. I'm not doing some savage thing", said Gladion, declining her idea. 

"... You loved hunting when we were in Alola", said Lillie. "Or have your skills rot after all these years?" 

"I'll let you know that I have in fact improved over the years and I can kill my target with my eyes closed. Sign me up and I'll prove you wrong". 

"MY BROTHER WOULD LIKE TO TAKE PART IN THE HUNT!" Lillie raised her hand to get the attention of the people. The declaration sparked a mixed reaction from everyone there. 

"It would be hard for a foreigner to adhere to the customs". 

"Is he insane? Does he even know the set of rules for the hunting ritual?" 

"What a brave young man. Our kids nowadays are such goons that I wish more youngsters would be like him". 

"Isn't that the man the tribe leader wants to marry?" 

"Eh, I expect him to behave more gently. Maybe there's a lion in his heart after all". 

_ I'll show them!!!!!  _ Gladion clutched both of his hands, all fired up. 

"Listen up, savages. Some of you might think that I'm unworthy but I'll show how wrong you are when I'm done with your ceremonial hunt!" he declared with his chest broadened and his eyes looking down on them. 

Lillie hid her face in embarrassment. Gladion was mostly cool headed but when he got riled up, he got riled up. The emperor and his boyfriend gave him smiles. To get accepted, sometimes you must put down your foot and tell them off. 

Meanwhile, Hau was startled. He had never thought that Gladion of all people would volunteer himself to join the hunt and somehow, he felt like a piece of himself had been snatched away by this simple act. 

He already thought Gladion was a beauty but now, he also showed Hau the confidence he possessed. He wasn't mistaken - Gladion was really more than just a man whom he fell in love for appearance. 

How could he rope Gladion closer until he was able to see everything he had to offer? Layer by layer and piece by piece. 

Some of the villagers were already laughing and a few of them had already begun to try to convince their leader to pick a better candidate than Gladion. 

Hau however, wanted no one else to take the empty slot but Gladion. 

"I'll let Gladion join the hunt with us", said Hau. The matter was undebatable once the tribe leader came to a conclusion after consideration. Then, he directed his gaze to Gladion. "Come with me. I'll help you pick up a tool for the hunt". 

Upon realizing that he would be interacting more with Hau, he casted a  _ I hate you right now _ glare at Lillie. 

"Good luck, brother", said Lillie with a giggle. 

\----------

Gladion walked closely to Hau when they entered the forest. A bow and arrows stacked in a leather quiver hung on his back. It was the tool that he had most comfort in and so he picked it out among the others that Hau had suggested. Five other men were carefully looking at the signs for an animal that could have left a trail mark. 

Hau bent down when he saw a number of hoof footprints left in the soil. "There are three deers close by", he told his group. They followed the footprint trails and stopped moving when they saw the deers that were tearing off the barks' skin to feed themselves. 

Hau raised a hand and made a sign to split the group to three smaller groups. Gladion looked at the hand signs blankly and when Hau waved his hand to sign Gladion to follow him, he carefully trudged the bushes, making as little noise as he could. Hau took a piece of rock and took aim at the deer group. When he saw all the other members were in position, he tossed it to a bush close to the deers, alerting the deers and they ran away from their feeding ground. 

"Yosh, let's chase after the one on the right", said Hau, bouncing up from the ground and following the doe on foot. Gladion went after him, trying to keep up with Hau's pace. While the tribe leader was fast, he wasn't going to lose either. 

The doe scampered between the trees, galloping at high speed. Gladion had never seen such an amazing runner like Hau. It was as if the earth couldn't stop him. 

"Take aim, Gladion!" Hau shouted at him. 

"Take aim?" 

"Quick!" 

Gladion pulled the bow as he was running and loaded an arrow with difficulty. Soon, coming into view was a limestone ridge, curving like a  _ u _ shape and the doe was encircled by them and the limestone wall. 

Gladion pulled the string and was about to release the arrow when Hau made a hand sign to wait. It had a swollen milk udder and that could only mean that it had a fawn. 

"Hahhhh, guess this one is not for the taking", whined the tribe leader. 

"We're not killing it?" 

"We can't kill a prey with a child. It's the rite's rule", explained Hau. "But good job at keeping up". 

Gladion flustered from the compliment and turned his head to the side. "I'm a trained soldier. This is nothing". 

"Well, I can't lose to the others", said Hau. "Those they were chasing have antlers". He watched longingly at the doe that had galloped away from the area. 

"Then, what do you reckon we do?" 

Hau closed his eyes and rubbed his chin as he thought about if there was anything worth hunting in the area. He recalled seeing a giant bird nest close by while scouting the forest a few days ago. 

"There is a giant bird's nest nearby. We call them the Urgulugu bird. It tastes delicious if you smoke it then cook it as stew. It's very vicious so I can understand if you don't want to hunt it", said Hau. 

"Are you implying that I am a coward?" asked Gladion, narrowing his eyes at Hau. 

"No, not at all! I'm just worried that you might get injured!" 

"Fuck injuries! I'll hunt it down even if it will cost me my life!" 

"Are you sure…?" 

"Show me the way!" Gladion said as he began to walk to the West. 

"You're going in the opposite direction", said Hau. 

"Hmph", Gladion turned on his heel and followed Hau to where the nest was located.

\---------

At the tribe village, Ash was sharpening his sword's edges with a whetstone he had brought with him. He was carefully doing the maintenance while Goh was sitting not too far away from him going through a grimoire for spells that would help them with infiltration. 

"I think a deaging spell would be good but it consumes a lot of energy to maintain the spell for hours", he said, reading the spell's description and the consumption level of energy. 

"Huh? Didn't you use transformation spells before at the harem?" asked Ash, pausing his action. 

Goh looked up from his grimoire. "... You thought I used magic to make myself turn into a woman?" 

"I can't explain it any other way", said Ash, scratching his cheek sheepishly. 

Goh sniffed before he entered a full blown laughter. "No, silly. I won't be able to do anything like that. In fact, I've never learnt complex transfiguration, just some simple ones". 

Ash put down his sword and went to Goh's side. "So, how did it happen?" 

"Well… we were heading to Yadon with my ward at the time and were attacked by a group of people. Ren gave her some potion that can change my body completely from male to female and she knocked me out with my staff and gave me some of the potion while she drank some for herself. That's how I was turned into a woman". 

"That's some useful potion. Does that mean we can try for a baby again in the future?" asked Ash. 

"Excuse me? I would hate to go through the pain again. No, we're not going to try anything like that and also, I have banned it from usage", Goh shoved Ash away. Even if Ash were to beg on his knees, he would not lean into his request. He burnt a good bed to get rid of the memory. 

"Well, I am satisfied with just two", said Ash, hugging him from behind. He rested his head on Goh's shoulder cosily after being shoved. 

"While we're on the topic, I want to talk with you about the twins", said Goh. 

"Hmmm… I'm listening". 

"You told me the other day that Aria is a witch. Who told you that?" 

"Oh…. I did tell you that. It was Leon", said Ash. 

"Leon? The spectre in your sword?" 

"The one and only". 

Goh had heard it before. He remembered Chloe told him the exact same thing about her katana sword. About a ghost that was called Raihan that lived in it. He never saw the importance of inspecting the matter further. Not until when Ash told him about Leon. 

In his court, there was a wizard who specialized in talking with the dead. His name is Elder Wizard Pryce. Maybe he could ask for his help. 

"I'd like to examine your sword when we go to Vermillion", said Goh. 

"Why?" 

"It's concerning Aria. I feel that your sword is the key to understand the existence of a witch". 

"A witch is not a magician?" 

"A witch is different", Goh clenched his fist. "Do you remember the day that we went to Pallet Temple?" 

"Yeah". 

"I met Celebi. It brought me to a past where the witch and a knight were tenaciously fighting. I was scared. I've never felt such vile power, not until I was in her presence". 

He still remembered it as vivid as the day it happened. Whatever he was capable off, it wasn't anywhere close to the witch. 

Only when Ash linked their hands did he realize he had been trembling. 

"Hey, we'll overcome this. This time, you have me by your side", said Ash, reassuring him. 

"Umph!" Goh nodded. He won't be alone. They were together now and it didn't matter what may come their way, they'll break through it. 

With Ash, he'll ensure Aria's safety.


	21. Off to a Start

Gladion touched the blood that was dripping on his face. It wasn't his blood that got onto his skin; he barely escaped the claw strikes with a scratch but the bigger reason why he was out of harm was Hau. His arms, supported by the nest base, became the column while his body shielded Gladion from the piercing strike of the giant bird. He didn't even have the time to register how it happened. The only thing he knew was how he was pushed down suddenly and Hau was over him, gasping at the claw that was tearing through his shoulder's flesh. 

"H-Hau…" Gladion mumbled. They were climbing to the nest not too long ago, chiding and arguing with each other. When they saw a male bird in the nest, they had made it a target. Little did they know that the female one was coming back from its hunt and now, it took a vengeful flight at them after seeing the dead body of its partner. 

"When you see the chance, make your escape", said the other, his breath shuddering from the tremendous pain he was experiencing. The claws had struck deep into his flesh, ripping the area around his shoulder and possibly some of his artilleries. 

Gladion could see the bird flying closer to deliver another strike. It was the height of two humans and it was diving fast at them from the sky. 

"No. I won't leave this place alone", a new strength emerged in Gladion and he hauled Hau's side, toppling both of them to the side to evade the claw strike. Hau groaned at the impact when his wound clashed with the rough surface. 

"Arghh!!!" 

"Hau! Oh no!" said Gladion when he saw Hau's blood streaming out faster. The bird strided towards them, broadening its chest and cawing angrily. It was terrifying, the way its eyes became rounder and the way its beaks clacked against each other. 

Gladion saw the bow being tossed all the way on the other side with some scattered arrows. Hau's spear had fallen off the nest previously in their fight with the male bird. If only he could quickly nabbed one from the ground, he might have a chance to load it and strike. 

"Hau, can you stand?" he asked. 

"Yes. Harghh!!" Hau groaned out the pain while forcing himself to stand up. 

"On three, run behind it. You take the left, I'll take the right", said Gladion. If he could get to the bow and arrows, he could take aim at the bird and hope that the arrow would hit the mark.

"Crawwww!!!!!" the bird spread its wings, its chest expanding from the anger it felt. 

"1, 2 and 3!!!" cried Gladion and they ran in the opposite direction, confusing the bird of which of them should it attack. The slight gap of confusion was all he needed to grab the bow and arrow. 

Gladion loaded the hamstring with an arrow when the bird turned around to face them. He watched the sharp point pierced through where its heart was. The bird fell on its back, convulsing before it's motion came to a stop. 

Gladion's heart was pounding so hard he thought that they were done for but the slim chance they created saved them. He turned to Hau to thank him. Except his heart dropped when he saw the tribe leader unmoving on the nest base. 

"H-Hau!" he rushed to Hau's side, immediately checking for his pulse. His breathing was shallow. Gladion tore off his cloth and used it to bind the bleeding wound. 

He needed to find a way to get down from the nest. "If only my noivern was here with us…" 

"Hau, I'll try to get people to come over. Please, don't die on me". 

It was the only thing he could do to save Hau. He made sure to wrap the wound carefully and climbed down from the cliff. 

His mind was set on to get help. He tried to remember the direction they came from, shouting in the forest to get attention. Luck was on his side when his shouting was heard by a member of their hunting party. 

"Thank Arceus, Manza!" cried Gladion when he saw Manza and his group. 

"Where's the tribe leader?" 

"He is injured. I need your help". 

The other members of his party left their game and followed Gladion to where Hau was. Along the way, one of them was foraging the leaves from trees. When they reached him, Gladion checked for Hau' s pulse and his breathing. 

"He's still breathing", said Gladion. "He's still breathing. I'm glad". 

\------------

When Hau was just a young boy, he watched how his father fought the wilderness with his strength, striking the sword he was holding at every enemy that came their way. Sometimes their tribes would be attacked by the capital's champions. They were always wearing full fledge armour and his father would defend the tribes from their invasion with his sword. "I want to be strong just like father", he had told the older man time and time again. His admiration of his strength was clear as day. His father was his goal. 

Hau never met his mother. She passed away from giving birth to him. Yet, he knew all about her because his father would always tell him the stories of their meeting and how she excelled in the tribe's wars. She was a strong woman and was a strong leader. "One day, you're going to inherit after your mom. You'll become a great tribe leader someday".

When he reached off age, Hau stood tall in front of his father, taking after the role he had wanted Hau to inherit. He gave the sword and told Hau about its origin and whose blood was flowing in his vein but he didn't force Hau to go after the throne of Ecruteak. Both of them never saw the importance - his father craved for a carefree lifestyle in the forest. 

It was after inheriting the sword and the title where he had played his role as the strongest protector of the tribes. Seven of them, with their leaders, kneeled in front of him to obey his command. He might not be the King of capital but he was the King of the forest. Hau would sometimes descend the mountain into the capital to have some fun. Despite being a tribe man, he enjoyed being surrounded by the other citizens of Ecruteak. He was often seen at the slum area. In his life, he had only been in the rich area, the Opulent Acres a few times to save the tribe people who were caught for enslavement. 

One day, while he was on a mission to free his people, that was when he had seen Gladion for the first time. He saw the other waiting outside of a building, looking bored and lifeless. His eyes were empty but he looked almost like a doll- it was enchanting. 

If only there were more colours in his expression, surely, he would be the most beautiful person Hau had ever met. Ever since then, he longed to see the other again, yearning it in his wake and in his dream. He thought it was impossible, not until Manza brought the said man to be judged for crossing their territory. That was when he decided - Gladion should be his bride. 

Yet Gladion would only accept him if he had a throne to brag about. That was when he decided he would rise in power with the help of King Goh and Emperor Ash. (He still wondered to this day how these two significant figures got together since monarchies were rarely seen meeting each other and were usually surrounded by their royal guards)

He was startled when a wet cloth was smacked on his face. Opening his eyes, he saw an angry face of a beautiful nobleman who was looking at him with a half lidded glare. 

"Are you going to wake up now?" asked Gladion. 

"Urgh, what happened?" His whole body ached but he had been in worse condition than this. 

"You were out for three days now from the injuries and our mission team got reshuffled. Me, you and Manza are now a team. We're heading to the North camp".

"What about the others?" 

"Acerola, Marnie and Lillie left this morning while His Excellency, his lover boy and Ren had left yesterday. Your shaman accompanied them until they're out of the forest". 

"What…. I was looking forward to some actions in the biggest camp". 

"Since your face is everywhere, it would be hard for them to pull a disguise. So, you're coming with me. Someone needs to watch your back". Gladion decided that he had said enough and took the water bowl to the cooking area. 

"Wait, you feel guilty, don't you?" asked Hau when he caught on. 

"How would you like to be skinned alive?" asked Gladion from the cave's entrance with shadows casted over his face. Hau gulped and shook his head. 

"Good. We're leaving this evening. Since your mouth is running wild with idiotic question, you look fine to me". 

Once, there was a blond beauty, whom Hau caught waiting alone in front of a building. He had an expression like a doll to which he thought, if only he could make that face full of life, he would be the most enchanting person he had ever seen. He never thought that murderous intent was one of the emotions that he could bring forth. 

"If only he could smile more", Hau sighed and continued to stare at the cave ceiling. 

\-----------

The shaman blessed a dragonite, Gladion's noivern and a Pidgeot with the water he had prayed to for safe journey. The dragonite danced on its feet, toddling on its feet as it happily moved to the shaman's prayer. The old man was trying to make it stand still by poking it lightly with his cane and grunting in disacknowledgement at it since it was moving about in a sacred ritual. 

"Draaaaaa", it clapped, annoying the life out of the shaman with its dance. He quickly finished the prayer and turned to look at the three. 

"I will take care of the villages until your return, tribe leader", said the shaman. 

"I appreciate that", said Hau, clasping both of his hands and bowing his head lowly as a respect to the shaman. 

"You should take the pidgeot instead of the dragonite. It keeps moving about that I can't even tell if my blessing ritual is working on it", said the shaman. 

"Oh, don't you worry about it. I'll do fine with it", said Hau as he got onto the back of the dragonite. 

"Draaaaa", the dragonite made a noise of agreement. Instead of pleasing the shaman, it irritated him further. 

"If anything happened to the leader, I know who to put the blame on!" 

"Drarararaaaaaaa". It waved goodbye at the shaman and took flight. 

Before Gladion followed suit with his noivern, the shaman walked closer to talk to him.

"Did you bring the essential medication with you?" asked the shaman. 

"Yes. They're all in my sack". 

"Take care of him", he said. Gladion's lip curved upwards. 

"I'll make sure he'll come back alive". 

He commanded Noivern to take flight to the sky and chased after the dragonite. It seemed they had flown a bit further than them but noivern, with ease, rejoined the group as they headed for the North camp. 

On the back of the flying pokemons, they soon saw Marnie, Lillie and Acerola team on the back of Lapras, heading for the South camp where the river ends were. They spotted the three in the air and waved at them.

"Good luck, brother!!!" Lillie shouted from below. 

"Take care, silly sister!" cried Gladion. The noivern flew higher, piercing through the sky. He really enjoyed surfing between the cotton like clouds - the view from above was really amazing. 

After a while, Noivern, Dragonite and Pidgeot flew lower and they spotted two Mudsdale and a Galarian Rapidash galloping on the route to the East camp. Ren was riding the Rapidash while Ash and Goh were on the Mudsdales not too far from each other. 

"Hey, you're awake, Hau!" Ash waved at him. 

Hau drifted closer. "Sorry, that I won't be joining the two of you". 

"It's fine. We'll manage. Take care of yourself", said Goh. 

"I believe the shaman had lifted the veil?" asked Hau. 

"He did so I can use magic again". 

"He showed me how to make a floating fireball just a moment ago", said Ash. 

"Great. Then, he'll have your back", said Hau. 

"I'm counting on him", nodded Ash while Goh was left flustered. 

"Alright, I should get going. The south camp is a stretch from here", said Hau and his dragonite flew higher. 

"Have a safe journey!" he waved at them and went to the direction where the South camp was. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is Hau x Gladion.


	22. A parcel from Vermillion

In Yadon Military Headquarters, no one had not heard of the name Bea. For everyone who would be sent on missions, especially the intel gathering ones, they would have to go to the Assignment Office to retrieve the assignment parcels for their task. 

Although she was holding the job role of an assignment officer, it didn't make her any less strong. In fact, she outdid High Officer General Cornie and High Officer General Brock in terms of battle strength. She was always running in the top eight of their annual military tournament where the strongest would contest their strength. 

Bea wasn't much of a celebrity person and so much wasn't known about her but when an officer sat to face her, they could feel the aura emitted from her was anything but friendly.  _ Tremble in fear and accept your job. Failures won't be accepted or come back dead if you do _ . 

This motto was actually hung next to the door of her office. It was so intimidating that the success rate of missions assigned by her were high. Bea only handled exclusively confidential missions and one would be lucky to even catch her smile at them. So far, no one had lived to tell the tale.

There was another side of the story. She was actually the emperor's senior when they were learning martial arts under High General Kukui. They weren't the best of friends but they were good rivals. When she saw Kukui assigning Lillie and Gladion on a mission to retrieve the  **criminal…** the emperor, she quickly corrected herself, she actually wondered if it would go smoothly. 

_ That man will do as he pleased _ , thought Bea. The only person he would ever listen to was Kukui and he was scared of Bea's wrath, so most of the time, he would also listen to her. With force, of course. You would never get Ash Ketchum to go down easily. 

She was doing her usual routine when Kukui entered with a parcel in his hand. He would often come here if the parcel was marked as high importance and confidential since it was the only place he knew he won't be compromised. 

"Can I use your office?" asked Kukui. 

"Sure. The desk next to me is empty, General". 

"Thank you, Bea". 

Kukui sat on the chair and unwrapped the parcel. He took a glass orb mounted on a stone out of the parcel and let it stand on the desk. Then, he took a letter out, reading it before tapping on the glass while saying High Officer General Brock's name. It glowed, which surprised him as he stood and stayed away from it to make sure it didn't blow up in his face. 

"High General Kukui?" they heard Brock's voice coming from the glass orb. 

Bea, becoming interested with the orb, came to stand next to Kukui to check it out. 

"May I?" she asked Kukui. 

"Sure. It's such a weird thing. I'm looking directly at Brock's face", said Kukui trying to understand what it was he was looking at. 

"You received my parcel, General. It's a crystal ball. This way, I can talk to you easier",explained Brock. 

"Wait, you can hear me?" asked Kukui. 

"Loud and clear, sir!" 

"Amazing…" For the first time, Bea was surprised by a crystal ball. 

"I would like to report to you about the situation in Ecruteak, High General Kukui. It's regarding the Emperor", said Brock. 

"So he was in contact with you. What has His Excellency been doing?" 

"He planned to join forces to assist Vermillion in an attempt of coup d'etat Ecruteak's current monarchy and restored it with the previous king's heir. His name is Hau, grandson of King Hala. His Excellency requested that we make preparation for our troops. I am, currently, together with High General Hodge of Vermillion, assessing our combined military resource's skill level and balancing out the troop's force. The emperor also requested for air defense support and additional high skilled foot cavalry soldiers to be sent to Vermillion". 

Kukui and Bea were still as statues for a few seconds before giving out their reaction. They never saw it coming. 

Bea clenched her fist, groaning, "I knew he would do whatever he wanted. Seriously, why is he deciding on this all of a sudden? Didn't you say you were going to discuss with him about expanding our influence to Ecruteak before he returned to Saffron?" 

That was written down in Kukui's report a month back. 

"I did… I just think the King of Vermillion has a tight grip on our Emperor…" said Kukui, unsure if he was supposed to be surprised or not. 

"Did he get blackmailed?" asked Brock, worried for the Emperor's safety. 

"No, he is not. Just… I never thought His Excellency would be this lenient". 

"High General Kukui, we wish to understand the situation better so please be clearer", said Bea. 

"... I made an oath not to tell anyone about it but as far as relationship goes, they are lovers", said Kukui, sighing a long sigh. 

Brock and Bea gaped at the revelation. 

"Wait… you mean to say the old flame you were talking about in the mission assignment document was actually the King of Vermillion?" asked Bea.

"Please keep this to yourself", said Kukui, scratching the back of his neck. 

"When did it all happen… The King had just announced not too long ago the prince and princess for the throne line in Vermillion. As far as I am concerned, there's no trace of a male lover for King Goh… unless our emperor is of the opposite gender which I doubt very much since I knew him from childhood", said Brock. 

".... I have no comment about what happened in Vermillion. When do you say the children were born? Do you know anything about it?" said Kukui. 

"It should be in early winter. They were five months when first introduced", said Brock. 

Kukui counted the months in his head. 

_ The timing is just right. Not too early and not too late. So they had babies from the pregnancy. Magic sure is something else. Hold on… Doesn't that mean they had taken a legitimate heir to Yadon's throne? Maybe we can force the merging using the heir's conflict.  _

"What do we do now, General?" asked Bea. 

"At some point, Vermillion will merge with Yadon. I do believe that is possible and so helping to extend their border won't be against our favour either", said Kukui. If in the end all this power would go to the crown prince of Vermillion, it really didn't matter. 

"What… Is that the right thing to do, General?" asked Bea. 

"Well, his kid is going to inherit the Yadon Empire anyway. Not that he has any other crown prince", Kukui laughed but shut his mouth when he realized he had said too much. 

"Kid?" asked Brock quizzically. 

"I guess, we can deploy what he requested. I believe the emperor had assessed the situation and seen it as a mutually beneficial favour to Vermillion Kingdom. What I am concerned about is the fact that the Emperor is going to war without a royal guard. For this, Bea, you will be given a temporary role as His Excellency's royal guard. At all costs, don't let him die", Kukui issued his order. 

"Yes, sir!" said Bea and Brock at the same time. 

"Also, if you are in contact with the emperor, Brock, tell him that he should consider a formal introduction of the crown prince to Yadon's throne".

Brock nodded despite not understanding what High General Kukui was talking about. 

\-----------

High Officer General Brock had been the emperor's best friend since he was in his childhood. They first met at a party attended by the noble families and royalties. At that time, he had seen Ash sitting alone at the side of the room. He was only six years old at that time and seeing how the attendees were mostly adults, he was left alone to entertain himself at the party. He was very shy despite being the only heir to the throne. The previous king didn't seem to mind that his son was quietly watching from his seat. 

Brock remembered sitting next to the young prince and asking him about his day. The prince was pulling faces, telling him that he didn't want to be there. He loved Pokemons and so he wanted to play in the shelter where the previous king had kept a number of pokemons for him. That's right. The only thing Brock remembered of that day was the young prince genuinely loved pokemons. 

They met a couple of times more that year and before he knew it, they were friends. He was eleven while Ash was only six but they were still friends. Over the years, they learned the art of fighting . They have different styles ; the young prince was taught by Kukui of the techniques for royal sword fighting, one that was only used by the royalties. As a royal guard apprentice, Kukui was taught of the royal art too for passing it down to the prince. 

Brock learnt from Ash that he had a senior called Bea and that senior was also learning martial arts from Kukui while having her own family's style. He remembered Ash wanting to learn Kukui's style too since Bea was able to learn both. 

In short, these two were rivals. 

While the emperor now had exceeded in terms of skill, Brock had to admit that Bea was not too far behind. That was why Kukui had made her an acting Royal Guard to be deployed to Ecruteak. 

While he was lost in thought, Hodge came in carrying two babies in his arms. He didn't look too pleased but Chloe poked her head from outside of the tent and put down a bag near the entrance. 

"Please Hodge, it's just for a few hours", asked Chloe. 

"Aren't they usually in Her Royal Highness care?" asked Hodge. 

"She has fever and I have an appointment in the capital to resharpen Raihan's steel. I can't bring them with me since it's a smokehouse". 

"Alright, your highness. I'll keep watch. Just come back to take them after you're done with your business".

"What if I overrun the appointment?"

"You just said it's only for a few hours". 

"I mean, I can't be sure to return before the sun sets. You know the taboo. Children below two years old should stay inside". 

"Fine, just pick them up tomorrow. Geez, I just can't argue with you". 

"Thank you, High General", she grinned and was on her merry way to the capital. The truth was, she already packed enough essentials for the twin to stay with Hodge that night. She was bargaining to make it sound like she wasn't pushing the twin onto him. 

Hodge was miserable after an hour taking in the two. "Oh my Arceus, don't play with the documents!" He almost banged the desk when dear Prince Levi and dearest Princess Aria were spilling the scrolls on the floor. He just put them on the desk and looked away for a minute. One minute. That was all it takes for the scrolls to be tossed off from the table. 

"I swear, if she ever asked this from me again, I'm going to refuse!" cried Hodge in misery. 

"You can't handle children?" asked Brock, looking up from his documentation. Fifteen minutes ago, Brock had watched Hodge making a barrier with boxes to stop the twin from getting to the long swords he had had on display. 

"Look at them. They are demons!" Hodge pointed at the twin, his face resembled that of a famous painting entitled as  _ the scream _ . Now that he was literally screaming, it was an on point description.

Brock looked at the twin. Their eyes were round and the baby girl was especially cute with her red plump face. Now, out of all things, Brock was weak to female populations in general and thus he sided with them. 

"They're pretty cute. Are they Princess Chloe's children?" he asked. 

"Huh? Don't you know whose spawns are these? These are the king and his dastardly husband lovechild!" blurted Hodge angrily. Then he remembered. "Oh wait, I'm not supposed to say that. Forget it. It's not like you will understand". 

_ Husband?  _ "So these are the prince and princess of Vermillion?" asked Brock. 

"Didn't you see them at the meeting? They came out before it's our turn to go in". 

"I was looking elsewhere". 

"Pay more attention to your surroundings, man. Hahh…." whined Hodge, slumping heavily in his chair.

"Kyaaaaa!!!!" the babies were squealing and it grabbed their attention. The two were already on the boxes Hodge had made to barricade the weapons. 

"OH MY ARCEUS!!!" the High General rose from his seat to grab the babies from harm. Meanwhile, Brock wondered if Hodge was going to be alright. 

\-------------

When it was evening, Hodge looked like he was constipated. His voice was rougher than before due to all the shouting he made while taking care of the twin. Brock felt sorry for him and decided to help instead. 

"I'll help you out", said Brock. 

"Huh? Do you even know how to care for babies?" 

"Don't you worry about that. I have a lot of smaller siblings", he said. 

"Good, now please take them", he said, putting both of the cooing babies in Brock's arms.

"Pstssss", Levi made razzing sounds, somehow behaving in Brock's hold. Meanwhile Aria yawned and cooed sleepily. 

"I think they're all tired out".

Then an idea popped in Hodge's mind. 

"Why don't you come over to my house? I have two pokemons and a foreigner taking up the other room so you can use mine for tonight. As long as you help me babysit the babies, I'll take the sofa", Hodge invited Brock to come over. 

"What's in for me?" asked Brock. 

"I'll buy you dinner at the Magical Girl Tavern. Didn't you say you wanted some time with Miss Cynthia?" 

Seeing how it was an offer he couldn't refuse, Brock agreed to it. "I'll take up your offer. Just lend me some fresh nightwear and something to wear tomorrow". 

"Sure. I have all the things that you need!" said Hodge. He took two pieces of cloth and passed them to Brock. 

"Just do a wrap around the infants. We're going to my house on Mightyena and Hariyama".

Brock strapped the fabric around himself and placed Levi inside the fabric piece. When he saw how Hodge was struggling, he helped the other to make the wrap tie. Then, he slipped Aria into the space in between. 

"I feel like I'm pregnant!" commented Hodge. The baby wasn't heavy but his movement was limited. 

"Hodge, are the twins adopted?" asked Brock. 

"Huh? You look at this demon's face! He's a spitting image of the king so how is he adopted?" 

_ Spitting image. So they're legitimate heirs to the throne.  _

Brock assessed the knowledge he had for now. He knew that the Emperor and the King of Vermillion were lovers. Then, High General Kukui asked him to deliver the message to the Emperor about a formal introduction of a crown prince to inherit after the throne. As of now, he knew the emperor didn't have a son and by tradition, males were favoured for the position of a ruler. Then, just now, Hodge slipped up and talked about the king and his husband. When he asked if these two were adopted, he denied it. 

Also, upon closer inspection, Prince Levi's hair and eyes were the same colour as the Emperor and the princess, he couldn't deny, was a replica of the Emperor. Even her sleeping habit of snoring and the way her arms were stretched out was exactly like how the Emperor was often seen sleeping. 

_ I see. So this is what High General Kukui meant by a formal introduction for Yadon' s crown prince. These two are the children of the Emperor. But how?  _

He decided to find out more about it later. Hodge had already sat in his Mightyena while his Hariyama stood next to them, waiting for Brock to pick up the pace. 

Then, he noticed something else sitting on Hariyama's head. It was small and pink. 

"Mew?" Now not everyone knew about the existence of Mew but Brock's father was a scholar and he had heard stories about Mew, its description and origin. 

Mew essentially was a guardian pokemon of Pallet Temple. According to his father, the temple was located somewhere in Yadon. He was left with more questions than answers. 

"Isn't that Mew?" asked Brock to Hodge. 

"Ah, oh that pokemon follows the king here. Seems like it got attached to the babies so it never leaves them out of sight", explained Hodge. 

_ But for it to follow the king, then doesn't that mean the King was in Yadon? I thought that he returned to Vermillion after the signing? _ Brock recalled the reports he had read. At that time, he wasn't in Yadon so he wasn't sure if it happened as described in the report. 

"I see".  _ I should further investigate this matter. If this is really the rightful heir to our Empire's throne then he should be returned to us. At this rate, I doubt that the Emperor would try for a baby with anyone else. Either he announces the heir or the seat would be taken by the next house in line which won't be good news for us.  _

"Anyway, let's leave before the sun sets. I have to barricade the house from evil spirits so I don't want to lose time", said Hodge, urging Brock to get on top of Hariyama. Brock who was lost in thought finally climbed on top of the pokemon. 

"You're good to go?" asked Hodge. 

"Yes", said Brock. 


	23. Chaos in the Capital

Today was a crucial day for Raihan as he was brought to a smokehouse where a sword artisan resided for his temporary stay in the Kingdom of Vermillion. Princess Chloe had received a letter from a renown sword artisan and that he had inherited old knowledge of swords that was not known by others but himself. 

When Chloe arrived at the smokehouse, she made sure that there wasn't anyone tailing her. When she stepped foot inside the house, a young teenager greeted her. 

"Welcome to the smokehouse, Princess Chloe", he said but skipped the honourable bow often addressed to her. 

"Stop it Parker, you can just call me the usual", scolded Chloe. Parker was Chloe's brother, one that found it amusing to tease her strict side. 

Princess Chloe was sent there to be betrothed to the King when they grow of age since it was a promise between their grandfathers but honestly, she was glad that it turned out this way instead.

"Where's father?" she asked. 

"At the back, sharpening some swords sent to him this morning. They keep calling him Swordmaster Sakuragi, those fans of his and I always find it amusing. It got out of hand so we told them to pick up their swords tomorrow", explained Parker. Chloe sighed and followed her brother to the back of the smokehouse where King Cerise was repairing some of the swords sent to him. 

"Let me guess. Mother is not here because she is in Indigo Plateau handling the government business". 

"Precisely that. You should see the art viewing party she is hosting this week. It was a busy week", said Parker. 

"And the two of you decided to travel all the way here to avoid having to meet the snobs royal families", Chloe pointed out. She hadn't been in Indigo Plateau for the longest of times and wasn't up to date with the development in her own kingdom but whenever she had to see the snobbish royal families, they really got onto her nerves. They behaved as if they were above everyone. Somebody needed to knock them down from their pedestals. 

From time to time, King Cerise would send to her a bird mail using his swordsman alias to see her. He didn't make it an official visit since it was a secret tie between Vermillion and Indigo Plateau formed during the time before her father's reign. 

There was a shortcut cave river that skipped Ecruteak and Azalea's border to enter Vermillion. It connected Indigo Plateau to Vermillion but unless one was familiar with the route, most of the travellers often faced mishaps by meeting the rat beasts inside it. King Cerise often used the route to enter Vermillion secretly. Not even Ikuo knew of his presence in the kingdom at the moment. 

"You have grown very sharp, my dear daughter!" King Cerise stopped what he was doing to compliment her. 

"Also, everyone misses you. Mum is asking if there's been progress with you and King Goh",said Parker. 

"The king is married and recently he made up with his partner and is on his merry way with him", said Chloe, stomping on their expectation once and for all. 

"Wow, what a missed opportunity, sister! You could've become the Queen of Vermillion!" said Parker, smirking at her. 

"He's my childhood friend. I can't even see him more than just that".

"So, his partner is a man?" asked King Cerise, wiping the black sediments from his hand. 

"He got swept off good by a knight in shining armour that's for sure!" laughed Chloe and sat on a chair that was available at the side of the closed window. 

"How about you, sister? Did you find anyone?" asked Parker. 

"Me? I would rather be alone for the rest of my life". It wasn't the truth, of course but she had let it go. That day had been erased by the palace fire. 

"Hmmmmm? You don't look so sure, sister". 

"Mind your own business, Parker!" 

King cerise set aside the work he had been focusing on after checking the coordination of the sword in his hand. "This one is done", he said and joined Chloe. 

"What do you have there, Chloe?" asked King Cerise, pointing at the sheath at her side. 

"Oh, this is Raihan. I was thinking of having you look at it". Chloe unbuckled her belt and placed it on the table. 

"Woah, since when did you learn how to fight with swords?" asked Parker. 

"Well, I was in Yadon for a while so I picked up some skills", said Chloe. 

"Yadon??? What are you doing in such a big place?" 

"Well, it was fated", she didn't comment too much on it. 

King Cerise picked up the sword and admired its unique engraved details and the lightness he felt in his hold. 

"It is an archaic sword. The steel is still in good shape despite its age but I think it'd be better if I can reinforce it", said King Cerise. "The shape is surely magnificent and well balanced". 

"Right? Raihan is just amazing". 

"Aw, enough with the compliment!" Raihan spoke from inside the sword. Chloe grinned, knowing that the only reason why the spectre did not show up was because he was all flustered. 

"I can quickly do some reinforcement work on it. A special sword for my beloved daughter", said King cerise. 

Raihan laughed when it was Chloe's turn to look away in embarrassment. 

\-------------

Aria crawled all around the living room while Levi was wrestling with Mew, giggling when the pokemon tickled his side. Brock was dipping some bread in milk when he noticed how the baby had begun to chew on their sleeves. 

"Are you sure we can give them food?" asked Hodge, eyeing at the bread soaked in milk. 

"I'll mush the bread finely", replied Brock and pressed the bread until it became soft and mushy with a spoon. He used to feed his little sister with mushy bread when she started to show signs of chewing on things. 

Hodge's house was situated right at the heart of the capital and Mightyena and Hariyama were given the lower floor to themselves.

The babies were left to roam around to explore the house. When Aria saw the door to one of the rooms was slightly gaped, she went to see what's behind it. A gible jumped out of the door, shocking her and she began to cry. 

"What…." Hodge went to check on her but didn't move an ounce closer upon seeing the baby shrouded with a dark vapour. His instincts told him that he shouldn't approach any closer than where he was standing. 

_ If I don't stop her crying, I feel like something bad will happen… _ From inside the room, he could hear growling and snarling, as if an animal or a beast was inside it. 

Aria cried harder when she saw red slitted eyes from behind the door. The dark vapour intensified, killing the potted tree he had kept next to the sofa. The snarling resounded louder. 

The door was swollen as if something was stretching it like an elastic material before breaking into small pieces. The loud crashing sound pierced the night but not a single splinter got to the princess as the fumes disintegrated them.

_ I have to take her. But how? _

Prince Levi who was watching his sister cry intuitively approached her closer. He extended his small arms and somehow managed to reach her unharmed as a golden light surrounded his body due to his soft humming. He held onto her tiny hand and it made Aria soften her crying as she listened to Levi's hums and coos. The dark vapour around her slowly disappeared, the vile force that Hodge felt was gone with it. Seeing his chance, Hodge moved on his feet and grabbed the babies. 

He managed to jump to the side with them in his arms in time when a tail came crashing onto his roof. 

"Fuck, what was that?!!" Hodge asked, peering at the smashed woods and stones behind him. He checked that if the prince and princess were not harmed in any way. 

"I think we have a big problem in our hand. There's a beast in your yard", Brock said as he looked at the gap in the roof. A long neck beast, resembling a dragon pokemon with red eyes, looked into the gap, lifting its claws and aimed its strike at Hodge. 

Brock pulled him away before the claws could meet its target. The beast roared and breathed smoke from its lungs. 

"I think it's about to burn the whole place down. We need to leave!!" said Brock and the two fled from the house on Mightyena and Hariyama. Not too far behind them, the Gible and Wooloo were also making an escape from the house. The moment they stepped out of the back door, the beast showered them with flames. 

Hodge watched the chaos around him. His neighbours were also fleeing their houses. 

"I've never seen anything like it!" said Brock. Winged beast, scaly and the size of two Wailords - it was almost as if they were looking at a dragon pokemon. The beast saw that its target managed to flee. It flapped its wings and lifted itself into the air. 

"They're after us!" said Brock, warning Hodge of its pursuit. 

"Not us. He was after the prince and princess", said Hodge. 

"He?" 

"I believe it was the foreigner I was housing for quite a few days now. Drake and Chloe reported to me about a possible shape-shifting creature entering our kingdom. I had an inkling it was him but I never thought he would show his true colours this early", said Hodge. 

"He's coming this way!" warned Brock when the beast flew lower to grab them with its claws but Hodge's Mightyena leapt onto a nearby roof and changed direction. It didn't get them but the beast ascended higher to change its direction. 

"If only I can help…" Brock spotted a Pidgeot tied to a post. It came to it and tried to talk to it, releasing the ties when it was willing to cooperate and mounting it. The pidgeot took off into the air, flying after the beast. 

"Pidgeot, use sky attack", ordered Brock. The pidgeot swerved around the beast and sent a few assaults at it but the beast scales were enduring the attacks and they couldn't penetrate the scaly coats. 

Mightyena jumped into the alley and used the shadow to hide its movement. The beast roared and pumped fire into its lung. Its chest grew hot red and smoke drifted out from its nose as it built up the fire in its chest. 

An angry red stream came out from its muzzle, burning the buildings in its way. 

"Hodge!" he shouted but was relieved when he saw a green light barricading the fire from reaching the Mightyena. 

When the fire breath was stopped, there was only Mew cruising in between the beast and the Mightyena. 

"Miu!" it was determined to keep the babies alive. 

\---------

Ding! Ding! Ding! Chimed the emergency bell of Vermillion's capital. As its ring could be heard from the sky, the citizens of Vermillion Kingdom emerged from their house door into the flaring buildings. 

"Leave your belongings behind and evacuate the street!" A few of the soldiers commanded the people as they ushered the citizens to a safe place. In their frenzy, they followed the masses to where the safe point was. Some were crying as their houses and shops were burning while others ensured that their family members were all there. 

Princess Chloe, having heard the ringing sound, prepared herself to carry out her duty. She tied her hair in a quick bun and grabbed Raihan, newly forged steel using the bronze iron powder mix. She put on her day dress and walked out from the room she was sleeping in. 

At the front door , King cerise was watching the people left in a rush, away from the burning capital. A few soldiers with their water pokemons and some magicians were already working on putting the fire out. 

The ringing of the bell continued to chime across the city, creating panic in the people's hearts. They were unsure what caused the fire but it was causing quite a damage, spreading from the centerpoint to many parts of the capital. 

"Keep it under control!" the soldiers shouted. 

"Put up the water barrier!" 

"We need more water pokemons this way!" 

The chaotic scene was one Chloe had seen when she was back in Yadon. Maybe it was because of her experience so she was calmer this time around. 

Prince Parker slung his crossbows on his back. "Here're your swords, father", said Parker, handing over his two swords. 

King Cerise took both of them and tested a few swings before sheathing them on his sides. He was a dual blade wielder, a specialty of Indigo Plateau Kingdom's sword style. Chloe tucked Raihan neatly around her waist. 

"I'm actually proud to see my daughter picking up sword fighting skill", said King Cerise. "Well, my son chose a crossbow so I'm worried I might not be able to pass down my art style". 

"I can't help it. Swords aren't for me",said Parker, pouting. 

"That being said, we should get going", said King Cerise, urging his children to follow him. 

They were headed to where the soldiers were heading. When one of them spotted Chloe, they saluted her as a sign of respect. "Your highness! This place is out of bound". 

"As a gold rank knight, I would like to know what is happening". 

"A strange beast assaulted the capital. From what I heard, it came from High General Hodge's home".

Chloe felt the hair on her neck rose. Hodge was taking care of the twins that night - it means whatever it was attacking them, it was putting them in the scope of danger. "Soldier, do you have a flying type pokemon nearby?" asked Chloe. 

"We have a Flygon and a Garchomp…"

"I'm taking them with me. Show me where they're at", said Chloe. 

"But your highness". 

"I don't care if you think I shouldn't go but the heir to the Vermillion's throne is in danger. You either let me have the Flygon or I will see to it that you get demoted. Am I to be understood?" snapped Chloe. While she knew he was only looking out for her, she was not as vulnerable as they thought. 

"Yes, your highness". The soldier led them to where the pokemons were. Chloe mounted the Flygon and asked Parker to ride with her while King Cerise took the Garchomp.

"Heir to Vermillion's throne? Gold Rank Knight?" asked King Cerise. 

"It's a long story, father but we can talk later. Right now, we need to hurry", said Chloe. 

Taking the leash, Chloe tugged it twice to give command for the Flygon to take off. They were in the sky soon and Chloe looked around for any signs of a strange creature. 

Then, she saw Flamethrower being fired in a certain direction and she tugged the leash towards it. As they flew closer, she finally caught the form of the creature and the one fighting it was Mew. 

She watched as the creature rose higher into the clouds and dove right at Mew. It slammed its palm at it, striking it to the ground. 

"Mew!!!!" shouted Chloe. She asked Flygon to go to where Mew had fallen. When Flygon landed near it, Chloe jumped down to the ground and scooped it up in a cradle. 

"Mew!" she shook its arm gently and the pokemon stirred, looking slightly fazed. Mew looked at Chloe and was confused at first but it regained back its strength after King Cerise gave it a medication mix. 

"Always come in handy", said King Cerise. 

Mew encircled Chloe who looked at it in understanding. It took the form of a Lugia and waited for Chloe to climb on top of it. 

Chloe climbed atop of it and looked at her father. 

"I'm going to save them", she said with determination in her eyes. 

"That's my daughter. Looks like it's my job to watch your back and make sure you come out of it alive", said King Cerise, riding the Garchomp while Parker took the Flygon. 


	24. A wyvern's Anger

" _ Don't go, brother _ !" 

A young wyvern hugged his brother's leg tightly, unwilling to let him go. It was uncertainty of the future that made him want to hang on, even if it was futile. Leon put a hand on his younger brother's head. 

" _ It's my duty. I will not be back after this so you must take care of everyone",  _ said Leon. " _ I'm passing the torch to you".  _

The torch that was passed to him was put out by the evil woman. 

"That was my duty!" he growled from inside the room of the human who had offered him shelter, his human form spotting scales as he looked through the door gap where the witch was. She was still a youngling but a witch was a pure madness being who feeds on fear. 

" _ Your brother is a foolish wyvern. Letting a knight leave a job unfinished. The source of my power is magic and either way, I am still unstoppable _ ", when the witch found their nest, she had forced them onto their knees. Her power, despite losing the aura, was massive and with it, she banished the wyverns into an underground prison where the prison guards were keeping eyes and were delivering their sentences. 

"For millennium, I have waited for a chance to avenge my brother for what you have said of him!" he snarled and hissed, only seeing red. The youngling was shaken by the anger in his eyes that she had cried louder. He felt his skin sizzling and before he knew it, he was morphing into a wyvern shape, growing in size. 

The walls cracked as they tried to contain his enlarged form. It swelled like an elastic material before exploding to shards. Hop climbed out from the house and swung his tail on top of the roof. He roared and peered inside the gaping hole. Realizing that he had missed his target, Hop accumulated gas in his chest, the fire heating up in his lungs before letting it all out on the building. Flames enfolded the wooden structure, brightening the dark night with its light. 

When he saw the group managed to make an escape of the fire, it spreaded its wings, beating the air with them. The flame grew stronger at the wind coming towards them and Hop levitated from the ground and lifted himself higher. He went after them on higher speed and was catching up with them when the man on Mightyena changed the course they were taking. 

The wyvern increased its flying height and made a circular motion flight before changing his direction to go after them. He roared in the sky, his voice bled with hatred that only a witch's blood would sate it. 

When a human on Pidgeot began to attack him, he scoffed. He was a magical beast far superior than a normal pokemon. The attack couldn't hurt him. He didn't deter his focus from his target, sweeping the sky with his strong wings. He accumulated gas in his lungs, kindling combustibles before aiming the fire breath at the target. 

He thought he had had them this time but there, blocking his attack, was Mew. 

**"A mythical pokemon protecting the witch!"** roared Hop at it. Mew generated a psychosis energy to sync their minds. 

**"Leave them alone, wyvern".** It replied. 

**"Now, why would I do that? The witch had done enough in the past. Surely you don't want a repeat of it, Mew?"** asked Hop. 

**"The child is not capable of evil. She is not the same witch like the one in the past. You have to give her a chance".**

A chance? After experiencing an immeasurable amount of sorrow, he wanted him to give such being a chance? The wyvern would not let the past go, as if it never happened. 

**"Then, you are opposing the victimized side. You must be annihilated".** It was Hop's response to Mew's proposition. Knowing its negotiation had failed, Mew expected this to happen, it readied itself to take the hit from Hop. 

Hop extended his claws and began swiping vigorously at the small pokemon. Mew slipped in between his claws and strikes and when it saw an opening, used Dazzling Gleam on Hop. 

" **I'm a magical beast. You don't think a Fairy type move will have an effect on me?"** laughed Hop and breathed fire at it. Mew deviated from it and strengthened itself. 

**"Malicious Moonsault!"** cried Mew, morphing into an incineroar as it delivered the body press attack on Hop in the air. It dealt with damage and it morphed back into its original form. 

Hop was knocked backwards but it regained control of his flight and breathed another set of fire. Mew enveloped itself with a barrier and teleported itself behind Hop. It used Hone Claws to increase its attack power. 

It morphed into a Dragonite. " **Draco Meteor!"**

Raining from the sky was star pieces and they hammered on Hop with vengeance. He tried to fly away from the falling meteorites, taking a few hits but evading the rest. Mew remorphed back into its form and chased after Hop, creating a flamethrower to be fired at Hop. 

Hop evaded it and rose higher into the sky. He made a return, diving and slamming its palm on Mew with the force it gathered from the dive. 

Mew couldn't dodge it and were sent to the ground from a high altitude. It fell and blacked out. 

When it came to, it was cradled by Chloe. She looked worried and it looked like she had found him right after being sent to the ground. 

"Miu", it squeaked at her, telling her how the younglings were in danger. She understood it and rose on her feet. 

Together, they were going to rescue them

\--------

Hodge managed to keep a good distance away from the beast. When Brock caught up with him, telling him how Mew was buying them some time, they decided to make a diversion instead. The plan was for Brock to bring the babies back to the castle perimeter while he and Mightyena would run in a different direction. 

"You know the way to the castle?" asked Hodge. 

"I do", said Brock, ensuring the twins were tucked securely. 

"Heh, I might not come out of this alive but let me say this now. You're a good buddy", said Hodge, grinning at Brock. 

"Well… protecting them from harm is also my duty", said Brock. 

"You got that right! Anyway, make sure they arrive safely in the castle!" said Hodge.

"Stay alive. I still need to redeem my free meal", said Brock. Pidgeot spread its wings and gathered the lift before taking flight to the castle's direction. 

"Alright, Mightyena. It's just me and you now", Hodge patted its head, ruffling Mightyena's fur. About ten minutes later, the beast was in sight. Hodge prepared to lead the beast right into their military camp. The battle would be spontaneous but he knew the soldiers at this shift should be well armed. 

Mightyena broke into a dash when Hodge ordered it to head to the camp. The beast noticed them and followed after them, not knowing that the babies were with Brock. Hodge grinned when the diversion plan was working.

"Mightyena, run into the forest", said Hodge and Mightyena strayed from the road into the forest. They used the trees' disarrayed arrangements as an advantage to confuse him. Hodge gathered back his distance from the confusion and rerouted back towards the camp site. 

When he heard the loud sound of alarm bells ringing, he knew they were getting closer to the camp. Hodge braced himself for a possible fire aimed his way when he noticed the beast's chest was burning red. It opened its mouth to put the forest in flame, two magicians from the campsite casted a barricade spell to block the fire. 

"We secured the High General",they shouted and Hodge continued towards the inner bound of the campsite. 

He didn't waste any time and went to his tent, grabbing his long sword and leather armour instead of the steel one. They were up against a fire throwing beast. He doubted using a steel armour was a good idea. 

He went out from the tent and saw how some of the magicians were already putting up barriers surrounding the campsite. Instead of using his fire, the beast resorted to slamming the barrier with its body. 

_ It probably takes a lot of energy to ignite it _ , thought Hodge. 

"Gather water magicians to the outskirts . Also, we need the status effect units. Be ready",said Hodge, commanding the night shift soldier to take position. On his Mightyena, he got closer to the beast to assess the situation better. 

"Magic is an effective counter to it. Then…" he counted the number of archers in the status effect unit. They were five of them but this should be enough. 

"Archers! Take aim. Put it to sleep. Don't kill the beast", he said. 

The magicians used their magic to make sleeping arrows and raised their target. When everyone was ready, Hodge commanded them to fire their arrows. At least two of the arrows reached the mouth of the beast and they undid the shape as it melted and became liquified. 

Perhaps, the beast noticed the arrows destructuring that it began to slam the barrier harder into the barrier. "We can't hold much longer!" the barricading magician shouted back their reply. 

"He's trying to break the magic barrier as soon as he can since he knows he doesn't have much time before it sleeps. Resist!" said Hodge back at the magicians. 

"Yes, sir!" 

Yet, Hodge knew the magicians were struggling to keep up with the beast. The odds were against them and a bit more, they would fall first before the beast. Hodge feared that he really wouldn't make it, just like how he had told Brock. 

It was in this moment of weakness when they saw a silver lining in the sky. A man tossed himself down from his Garchomp, shouting. 

"Dual swords technique. Beast Slayer!" 

\--------

Raihan sat at the back of Mew in Lugia's form, studying the man on the Garchomp. He learnt earlier that this man was Chloe's father, King Cerise and he was a seasoned swordmaster. Chloe, in his earlier observation of her, had come from a branch family who possessed the aura power. Looking at King Cerise now, he realized that even if it was an ounce, it could turn a man formidable. 

"You should learn swordsmanship from your father, Chloe. He knows his way with swords very well", Raihan commented. 

"How can you tell?" asked Chloe, amused by Raihan's praise of her father. 

"A seasoned fighter will never face a battlefield without a smile on their face", said Raihan. King Cerise went after the beast in such a relaxed manner, as if nothing could take him by surprise. Yet, he never let his guard down. 

"Chloe, for now, watch carefully my techniques. I will demonstrate our family's sword style", said King Cerise. They could hear the beast roaring from a distance which meant they were getting closer. 

"Will you be alright, father?" asked Chloe. 

"Don't worry about me. I had good practice on beasts that lived in the cave route", he said with a smile. 

"Practice is too nice of a word", Parker shivered when King Cerise called the brutal training a practice. 

"Now I have taught Parker the basic skill of our sword art style. At least he can use it to make the arrow more durable. Now, I want to teach you the basic first", said King Cerise. 

He unsheathed a sword and held it out in front of him. "Watch carefully, Chloe". King Cerise concentrated his aura energy into the sword. Chloe watched in awe as the sword was coated in black radiating coat. 

"This is Aura Coat. It is not as strong as an Aura Cloak which enveloped the whole body and changed the form of someone but this is effective against magical beasts", explained King Cerise. 

"How do you do that father?" asked Chloe. 

"You need to imagine giving the energy out", said Parker. "Then it will coat the item you are channelling it too". 

"Why don't you give it a try?" asked King Cerise. 

Chloe unsheathed Raihan's sword body and held him firmly in her hand. "Imagine I'm channelling my power to you", she muttered softly, her eyes focused on the katana. Usually it would be her taking the energy from the sword and now she had to be the source. 

Her fingertips tingled as the steel began to be coated with black radiation. 

"You got it on the first try. I would've trained you earlier if I had known of your hidden talent!" King Cerise chuckled. King Cerise narrowed his eyes when he saw the beast that was tossing its body onto what looked like a magic barricade. 

"It's an amazing size. We probably have to chip at the scales", he said, studying the beast's physique. As he got closer, he also noticed the weakening state of the barricade. 

"Alright, for now focus on the style you've learnt. After I made the first move, Parker, shoot at its wound. Chloe, you will slash the other side of the beast", King Cerise gave them his order. 

"As you wish, father", said the two of them. King Cerise stood on garchomp's back and waited until they were close enough to the beast. 

"Garchomp, catch me before I hit the ground" he said as he jumped off its back. 

"Dual sword style: Beast Slayer", he unsheathed both of his swords and made an aerial spin in the air, cutting through the scales of the beast. 

It roared in pain as the aura burnt the part that had been cut. 

Gatchomp caught King Cerise just in time on its back. 

"It's quite thick. Maybe we're looking at quite a few attempts", King Cerise evaluated. He watched from where he was how Chloe pierced through the skin with Yadon's style of sword fighting and how Parker targeted his arrow at it. The beast did not expect the consecutive attacks and landed with its four feets on the ground. 

King Cerise decided to give another go. The garchomp he was riding flew closer and he made a cross cut. "Dual Sword style: Wide area cross cut!" 

The garchomp flew close to the beast and before anyone could see the cut, King Cerise sheathed both of his swords. They watched the beast collapse on the forest trees and it reduced in size, shrinking until only a half human form was what remained of it. 

They had defeated the beast. King Cerise had toned down the attack intensity so it only disabled its movement temporarily. The cross cut might look like a simple move but it was actually targeting a few nerve points to lock the beast movement. 

The magician released the barricade. "Secure the beast!" shouted Hodge to his soldiers. "Keep him in the anti magic cage". 


	25. Aftermath of the Rampage

The castle was in a state of unease when they heard the sound of the emergency alarm being rang and from the castle's tower, the soldier reported of the fire in the central capital. 

"What's going on?" Ikuo asked worriedly at the Prime Minister. If there was an emergency, the first person in contact would be him. However, even Visquez wasn't able to answer or ease His Royal Highness worries. They decided to keep the knowledge from Kurune since her health wasn't in a good condition. 

"We are trying to search for the Prince and Princesses to ensure their safety but I've not received news from the soldiers we dispatched", said the prime minister. 

"If anything bad happened to them, my son would be the most devastated", said Ikuo, looking out of the window of the king's study. It worried him that Chloe had gone to the capital with the twins. For the fire to ignite in the capital, he hoped they were not trapped in it.

It was then when they spotted a silhouette coming from the sky heading towards the castle. A pidgeot crossed the castle bound, carrying High Officer General Brock. When the pidgeot landed in the courtyard, Visquez and Ikuo left the study. 

Ikuo sighed in relief when he saw Brock cradling the twins in his arms. "Arceus, I thought they were harmed".

"His Royal highness", Brock addressed him courteously and passed over the twins to him. The twins had fallen asleep during the flight, having some light scratches in some place but not injured otherwise. Ikuo called for the wet nurse to bring them to their cribs to be tucked in. 

With the twins safely returned to the castle ground, the interim king pursued to uncover the matter regarding the fire that was happening in the capital. He turned to Brock, his eyes showed urgency with them. 

"Tell me about the situation in the capital. You were coming from the direction, then you must have seen the chaos inside it". 

Brock told his story with intense earnestness. "His Royal Highness, it is difficult for me to explain the gravity of the situation there. The prince and princess were in direct contact with a beast that was trying to harm them. However we are not sure what beast it is. High General Hodge had laid a diversion whereby I was to carry on to the castle with the little ones while he would become the bait to lure the beast away from us". 

"A beast?" asked Ikuo. Surrounding them besides pokemons were magical beasts that roamed the land and sea but from Brock who described later on of its physiques, he realized it was a beast they had never seen before. 

"A shape shifter beast? I've never found any records on this", said Ikuo concerning the nature of the beast. It was clearly a magical one given the description but from the thousands years records that they had, such beasts had never been mentioned. 

It appeared there were a lot of other beast colonies out there that they might have not discovered yet. 

"Hah…" Ikuo rested his head upon his hand, bemoaning the predicament they were in. "If it is the cause of the fire and it is after the prince and princess, surely we are looking at a greater damage on the capital than this. If it is not dealt soon, we can lose a kingdom to a beast wrath". 

"If it comes to that, then our assistance would be significantly required. I must then make haste to call on my soldiers", said Brock. "Please excuse me then, His Royal highness, for I must go". 

"I hope Hodge will curb the situation. I have high hope that he will", said Ikuo. 

"I hope that too", said Brock, bowing his head and immediately headed to find the vice officer. 

The capital was in uproar but much cannot be done from the castle's ground. Only an oversight panned in his view but Ikuo made preparation to distribute some part of the treasuries to the people. 

"The people come first", he said to Visquez. "Due to the fire, some may have lost their homes. We cannot let them face winter without a shelter". 

Visquez nodded in agreement. "Then I will draft the recovery plan for the damage garnered from this event".

"Let's make that a priority", said Ikuo. The two of them returned to the study to lay out a solution for it. 

\------------

Hodge watched intensely at the beast that was lying asleep in the center of the anti magic cage. Today, he had his thanks for King Cerise of Indigo Plateau Kingdom for restraining the beast. However, it occurred to him that there was an unknown entry which had allowed the king and his prince to make an unofficial visit to the kingdom. For its due diligence, then he must make an investigation of this at another time. 

He let it slip for now. The beast was their top most concern at the moment. 

He had a teenage boy sitting right next to him, growing curious at the way an anti magic cage works. He had been seething with questions that he ended up asking Hodge who was not looking away from the beast, not even a second. 

"Can I know what is an anti magic cage?" the young prince, Prince Parker, asked. 

"Well, I'm not too well versed with the matter but if I were to describe it, it is the opposite of a crystal ball",said Hodge. His explanation generated more questions instead of an answer. 

"Um?" it was obvious Prince Parker didn't understand his comparison. 

"Well, a crystal ball takes in magic from its surroundings to power up the network that connects two crystal balls together. Then, if it's the opposite, it means the anti magic cage absorbs the magic from its center and dispels it into its surrounding".

"Ah so it's like an equilibrium theory!" said Prince Parker. 

"Equilibrium theory?" 

"When I was learning how to use a crossbow from my tutor, he taught me how to hold the arrow in position. He told me that the pressure that you put in must be equal to the output of the arrow and bow stretch. Maybe that's how the anti magic cage works! It takes out the magic from the prisoner so that the total of equilibrium is equal to the force outside which is no magic at all!" Parker made his theory about it. 

_ I don't think that's how it works, kid _ . Hodge thought. He never wrapped his head around the theory of magic, he wasn't a magician and even to him, it was just a mystery after another that he had come to accept it as what it is. 

The one who created the anti magic cage was the dungeon master's family, one of the royal houses in Vermillion Kingdom. They were also the smartest and the hardest to deal with people in the whole kingdom. Even the king tended to stay out of the dungeon matter. 

"That man would be keen to have a new prisoner but honestly, it's better if we try to understand what it is first before locking him up. Once they entered a dungeon, it's hard for the king to negotiate a release term", Hodge mumbled to himself. 

"Um?" Prince Parker tilted his head, confused. 

"Don't worry your little head, kid", said Hodge. "Also, don't you want to take a rest yourself?" 

"No, I'm used to this. Father often makes me keep watch the whole night while he goes to sleep". 

"Huh… pray tell how did you even enter Vermillion unnoticed?" Hodge tried to get a hint of this breach. 

"Not telling". Prince Parker was tight lipped. 

"Hey, I could arrest you for your offence!" 

"But you have us to thank for so we are even", said Prince Parker. 

"This smart mouth kid!" 

"You can't touch me, blergh!" Parker stuck out a tongue and after that, laughed with glee. 

"Well, I guess I could look away this one time but the next time I caught you entering this way, I will arrest you". 

"Father said it's totally legal for us to use the entryway. You might want to check this with your king". 

"Huh, what are you on about?" 

"You can't arrest us even if you try". 

"Right…"  _ Maybe I'd need to talk to Visquez about it later. Can't let a smug kid own it.  _

The chattering between them continued until morning came. 

\---------

Hop opened his eyes only to see that he was inside a cage. He tried to change his hands into claws but he couldn't. The cage he was trapped in was made to restrict any form of magic usage. In other words, he was powerless. 

There wasn't much heat in the chilling afternoon but it didn't matter. He was a cold blooded creature after all. This temperature didn't bother him the slightest. Hop leaned against the bars, staring at the soldiers that passed by. Some of them were afraid of him and steered clear of the area. Some of them looked at him like he was a display object, with curiosity gripping them. 

He paid no heed to some of the mockery he received. Not that he can understand them even if they were to throw insults at him in a language he couldn't understand. 

Later on, the man who had given him shelter previously came to him with a plate of meat. He slipped the plate with difficulty through the gate and left the plate there. He said something and just waited for him to approach the food. Since Hop just looked at it from where he was sitting, the man took it upon himself to wait there until he touched the plate. 

For three days, it continued, this odd relationship between them. On the fourth day, he came over with the food and cufflinks . He put the plate in the usual place, waited until he was done and made a gesture to ask him to put his hands near to one another. The man put the cufflinks onto his wrist and opened the cage door. 

Once he was outside, he tried to transform but was unable to. So the cufflinks were also a magic restraining item. There was a carriage waiting for them and he was escorted until he was inside it. They left the site and were headed to somewhere. Perhaps, they were relocating him to a dungeon. 

They arrived at a castle's ground and he was again escorted to a room where a number of humans were waiting. 

" **Is this the beast, Drake? He looks like a human** ". 

" **Yes, this is it. We are not able to communicate with him so I was hoping that you could help us, Wulfric".**

**"Hmm… let me have a look first at his core attribute. I doubt the magic to communicate with pokemon will work for it".**

The man placed a hand on his head, chanted a spell that made his hand glowed. " **His core attribute is that of a human and almost like a dragon pokemon. I guess, we can try to tap into it".**

He muttered something and looked at Hop in the eyes. "Can you understand me?" 

Hop withdrawn from the hand. "What did you do?" 

"Good. Now that you can answer me back, it seems we can finally ask you questions. Before that, let me introduce myself. My name is Wulfric, a magician who specialized in language. What I have casted on you is a magic spell that allows your mind and our mind to communicate fluently just like what you are experiencing now", said Wulfric. 

"My name is Drake. We met on the first day. The man that has come with you is Hodge, High General of the cavalry. These two are Visquez and His Royal Highness Ikuo, interim king of this kingdom", said Drake. 

"Is this spell permanent?" asked Hodge. 

"Once it's casted, it will enable the citizens to talk to one another. Much like pokemons that lives in the capital", explained Wulfric. 

"Where's the Gible and Wooloo?" asked Hodge, squinting his eyes at them. 

"Well, they are being interrogated by Lord Cinderace at the moment but no harm has been brought to them. Same with you. Despite your action, we assure you that there won't be a sentence for you until we understand your objective", said Visquez. 

"Why don't you start with an introduction about yourself?" suggested Drake. Hop was reluctant at first but in his current position, there was nothing else he could do but to heed to their request. 

"I'm Hop. I'm a Wyvern", he said.

"A wyvern…" Wulfric pondered with interest. 

"How did you arrive in Vermillion, Hop?" asked Drake.

"I escaped the underground prison where the wyverns had been locked for millions of years. I was chased by a prison guard but the magic barrier around your territory stopped it from tracing it". 

"So why did you kill the wooloos?" asked Hodge. 

"You're quick to assume but you're right. I did it. However it was because I was severely injured and at that time, I needed to recover and my instinct took over. The gible and the wooloo were the ones that helped me",explained Hop. 

"What about the capital? Why did you set it on fire?" asked Visquez. 

"Because the witch is present in your nest", Hop said, looking directly at Hodge. 

"A witch?" 

"Wyverns were banished to the underground prison by a witch. Not only that, she is a being of terror that has caused misery to everyone". 

"I don't remember there being another person besides me, Brock and the babies. Are you trying to lie?" accused Hodge. 

"A wyvern only knows how to speak the truth. She's still a youngling but it'd be best to eliminate her now". 

"You are saying that Princess Aria is a witch?" asked Visquez. 

"If that's what you call her then yes". 

His Royal Highness Ikuo hadn't spoken since the moment Hop entered the room but since the matter now had been directed to his granddaughter, he couldn't just stay put. However, if the wyvern was speaking the truth, then they should weigh his words. 

"We have never heard of a witch. Meaning we lack of measures against such being. However, Aria is my granddaughter. To kill her would be something that cannot be done, not as long as she stays inside this castle with her family",said Ikuo. 

"You can't stop a witch. Her power is too much for you to handle". 

"It might be true but not all powerful being will turn evil. If the right environment raise her, she will be a good person. That's what I believe", said Ikuo. 

"Suit yourself. When it happens, don't blame me for not warning you", said Hop. 

"Ah… but you deserve a sentence too. For killing the wooloos and also destroying the capital, you are now in charge of making sure Aria is out of harm and also will use her power responsibly. No one here knew the extent of her capability but you", Ikuo decided on his punishment right then and there. 

"What? You want me to look after the witch? I refuse!" 

"It's not something you can refuse, Hop. It's a punishment. I am not negotiating. You claim that my granddaughter is a witch, a being that you said it yourself could bring chaos to this world. It's only sensible that we curb that from happening but we need someone who had been in contact with the previous witch", Ikuo's voice was stern. 

The other men in the room were also agreeing to it. It would be better if the wyvern would help them with understanding Aria's capability. This way, they could plan ahead for countermeasures.

Hop held back from growling. These humans were determined to keep the witch alive while he wanted her dead. However, right now, with his magic restrained, he couldn't do anything else but to accept. 

"Do whatever you want", he finally said, taking the sentence he hadn't had a choice in. 


	26. A Future Outlook

Indigo Plateau had a long history with Vermillion. Since their great grandfather's time to the current regime, the bond between two kingdoms was like a knotted string. Tight and unbreakable unless it was forced to break. The request today made to the interim king could be that. 

"I would like to bring my princess back to Indigo Plateau", said King Cerise with a smile. 

Princess Chloe was sent to Indigo Plateau for diplomatic engagement. She had called the place her home ever since she first arrived when she was six years old. To Ikuo, she was already a part of the family. 

"Why suddenly?" asked Ikuo. 

"Technically, her presence in Vermillion is no longer required. So, I thought, having her back home would be good".

"Why?" Ikuo pressed again. 

"I would like to spend time with my daughter. I missed her growth a lot that she had become someone independent. Children grow up so fast. Surely you understand this!" said Cerise, ending his commentary with a chuckle. 

"Have you asked her if she would like to come with you?" 

"No, I haven't but I would like to make it so that in a way, she won't refuse". 

"Are you going to force your daughter to do something that she doesn't want?" 

"Don't jump to conclusions too fast, Ikuo. We are not breaking ties l, if that's what you're worried about". 

"It's the least of my concern. I just think that we should let her choose". 

"Absolutely not", King Cerise refused. "Otherwise, who else is going to inherit my sword style?" 

Silence hung around them. It dawned to Ikuo that King Cerise wanted to bring Chloe back to pass down his knowledge. 

"When you said we're not breaking ties, what exactly did you mean?" 

"Just like that. Vermillion will still be her home. However, I need a successor. Parker is not a swordsman so I can teach him nicht. Chloe on the other hand, she had proven to have inherited my swordsmanship talent. I want to bring that out". 

"Do you mean this retraction of the princess is temporary?" 

"Yes". 

"But there's a war coming up. Surely she would like to stay for it". 

"Now, now, Chloe may be able to fight but her skills are still rough around the edges. She certainly received training but she is not a master. From my observation, she has a long way to go". 

He had seen a sneak peek of Chloe's sword handling. He could make her better. 

"Have faith in her", said Ikuo, trying to deflect the argument. 

"She is my only daughter. I would like her to survive. However, should this worry you so much that you need her to be in the field, I have another proposition".

"Let me hear it". 

"I will bring her back to Indigo Plateau but when the time comes, my kingdom will assist yours in the war against Ecruteak".

"Ah…"

"Yes, ahh. Anyway, I think I might leave my kingdom in your son's care when the time is right". 

"They're not betrothed",said Ikuo, sipping his tea. 

"I know. He found himself a charming knight. That's what I heard". 

Ikuo spat his tea. 

"But we can always go under your wing anytime. Through diplomatic agreement methods. Paper signing". 

"Are you sure?" 

"I'm very sure. None of my children want to take after the throne and I can't leave my kingdom to snobbish families. My head hurts sometimes thinking about it". 

"Then, we can proceed with this way". 

"Thank Arceus you agreed. I never thought I would have to ask for your permission to bring back my own child". 

"Well, she is also like a daughter to me". 

They both shared laughter. 

"With that said, can I see your grandchildren? I heard the king comes with a twin package too". 

Luckily for Ikuo, he managed to catch the cup before the tea spilled. 

\--------------

High General Kukui and Advisor Clemont looked at the fleet they were sending off to assist in Ecruteak's war. When he received the emperor's order, Kukui had issued orders to the lower rank generals to choose the soldiers, a good twenty thousand of them. However, all of these soldiers were highly skilled and so despite the small unit, they could defeat a huge number of enemy soldiers in a short time. 

Bea and Bugsy were sent to lead the troop to war. Bugsy would be managing the troop once he joined with High Officer General Brock while Bea would be searching for the emperor in Ecruteak once she reached Vermillion. They were both strong soldiers and Kukui had high hopes for them. 

"Remember your missions", said Kukui. 

Bugsy and Bea gave him their salutation. 

"High Officer General Bea, we would like to talk to you alone", said Clemont. Bugsy nodded at her and went ahead to dock the fleet. Bea waited for Clemont to continue. Once Bugsy was out of hearing range, Clemont began. 

"Bea, we need to ensure that the emperor is secured and is unharmed once you find him. He would probably put up a little fight if their relationship was to be as what General Kukui has informed me", said Clemont. 

"Put up a fight? Is this about his love life?" asked Bea. 

"We expect that he will have some resistance about returning to Yadon. However", Kukui grabbed both of Bea's shoulders and looked at her as if failure was not an option. "You must drag him back to Yadon. We have so many things to do on the roadmap and so it's not something he can just pocket it out for later on. I would like to deal less with the other royal houses as I am not too keen with their personalities". 

"Is it that bad?" asked Bea. 

"I will personally go there if he is not coming back by then", Kukui deadpanned. Despite the emperor being highly skilled, the general was his teacher and he knew Ash's habits. It could be easily turned against him. It was like a backdoor for Kukui when he needed to counter his own emperor. 

"Remind him that his holiday is only for three months. I will overlook any damage done on the emperor", this time, it was Clemont who wanted to rip the piece of paper in his hand. When Kukui had confirmed to him that the missing Emperor had been in contact with Brock and was in Ecruteak, he really tried his best to hold down his curses. He had to inform the queen mother and other people who were actually worried about him of his whereabouts and their effort to ensure his safe return. 

"You actually would allow me to legally kill him", said Bea. 

"With reasons of course", said Clemont, correcting himself. "Tell him, after three months, I will return to my job scope and I will not cover for him. Expect a mountain of things to read and stamp if he is not back in time". 

_ Is the emperor's job this heavy loaded? I thought he would just sit and wait for people to do his work? Isn't he a bit overworked?  _ Bea wondered why the Emperor had such a big role in easing the general and the advisor's life. Then again, he had to rule three kingdoms and they were looking at expanding further.

_ I guess his ambition is a bit much,  _ Bea thought. 

The fleet that they were taking was a newly invented military ship. It ran on charcoal, according to the captain's explanation and can shorten the journey from a month of sailing to just two weeks. 

It had just been released earlier on that year and was made ready for utilization because an emperor ran away from his problems. 

"I'll make sure he comes back with me", said Bea, saluting at the two, "I'll take my leave". 

Once she was on board, the captain made a final call rounded from the other officer generals' reports before lifting the bridge. The steam engine ship broke the waves as it sailed towards Azalea Port where they would meet with Brock to go to Vermillion. 

\------------

Ash got chills running through his spines. It was as if someone was talking about him and he shuddered. The chilly breeze was pricking him like needles and he hid both of his hands in his cloak. 

"Maybe I'm just cold", he muttered. 

Pikachu was playing with Goh, rubbing their cheeks together and hugging him. Ash was glad that they got along and he was in love with this side of Goh too. The side that adored Pokemons a lot. 

"Oh, I have some berries. Do you want one?" Goh took out a piece from his sack and passed it over to Pikachu. Pikachu sat and nibbled on the piece, enjoying the sweet taste and squealing. Goh gave it another one before putting back his food ration in the sack. 

"Can I have one?" asked Ash, drooling at the berries in Pikachu's hold. Pikachu looked at him and extended the uneaten one to Ash. 

"Thank you, Pikachu", he said, grabbing the berry from it. 

"Well, if you're that hungry, I have some crackers. Do you want some?" asked Goh. 

"Sure".

Goh searched his sack and took a small wrapped parcel, opening one side of it to take the crackers. He gave two pieces to Ash who munched on it slowly. He took one for himself before putting it back and nibbled on the snack. 

In front of them, Ren was reading a grimoire on the back of his Rapidash. While they were heading to the East camp, Goh had asked him to find any spells that could help out with their disguises. There were spells that used magic and there were also spells that required him to brew potions. In theory, potion based magic would last longer than the one that relied solely on magic. It would be better if they were using spells that used potion. 

"Have you found anything?" asked Goh. 

"I have found a few spells. One is the deaging potion, the other one is a physique replication potion. It requires an item from the person we want to impersonate. The last one that I found is an illusionary spell where you can persuade someone to believe that you are a part of their cavalry but we would be leaving so much trace behind that I think it is best that we avoid it".

"Deaging potion? I thought there's only a spell for it?" asked Goh. 

"The potion one can have a longer retaining duration and it doesn't use magic that much. Even when used on a normal person, it can last at least a week".

"How about aura? Doesn't it remove the magic?" asked Ash. 

"I think we need to test that before going on an infiltration", said Goh. Ash had a point. Having aura might render the potion ineffective on him. 

"We're not too far from a village near the campsite. We can rent a place there and try to create potions with it", said Ren, checking out the map. They made a detour to the village first but when they arrived, they couldn't find an inn to stay. 

"What do we do?" sighed Ren, looking around for guesthouse signboards. 

"Hm… let's ask around", said Goh. They tried talking to the villagers to find out if there is a place to stay. One of them pointed out that between the campsite and the village, there was an abandoned building. While the village didn't have a guesthouse but the travellers who had come to this place were often seen to camp there. 

They thanked the person and made their way to the building. It was near a lake and the house, after checking it, was empty. 

"I guess we can camp out here", said Goh. It was refreshing to see the lake. He saw Lotads swimming in the lake and a few lily pads growing in it. 

"Huh, I like this place", said Ash, observing his surroundings . "Maybe we should turn it into a second home. It's away from the people but not too far from a capital". 

"... We?" asked Goh, his jaws hanging open at Ash's suggestion. 

"Well, we can come here for a get away sometimes, don't you think? Although I would like to spend the rest of my life with you, I would need to retire first. That would be um… another sixteen years".

"You're going to retire at thirty six?" asked Goh. 

"What? I think I would like that actually. Having to work as an emperor is a tiring business. You should see the reports that I have to read", said Ash. Goh felt sorry for him. He was in the same boat too when he left work for a whole year. 

"I understand how you feel", he said to Ash, patting his head. 

"That's pretty nice", Ash leaned into the touch, "So Goh, when I retire, don't you want to stay here with me? We can always come here for a rest before that". 

It sounded like a lifelong proposal. Thirty six… Maybe he would do retirement around that time too. 

"It's not a bad place. I think I can do that", said Goh, his cheeks heating up from the thought. He wasn't putting much hope on it but he could imagine themselves together spending their life together in a small place like this. Just them and the children. If only they were a peasant, maybe the dream could be seized with their hands.  _ But it'd be nice. Our own castle without anyone else.  _

Ash smirked since he knew what was on Goh's mind. Well, he was also thinking of the same thing too. Their small family, enjoying the beauty of nature, together. They would be watching the kids play and grew up as they themselves grew older. 

A simple happiness, small but big. 

Ren returned with a stack of firewoods in his arms. "Who's hungry? I have some oatmeal". 

Goh thought that some food would be nice right about now to distract himself from the image projected in his head earlier. He would like the imagination he had to come true. 

Growing old together with Ash.  _ It doesn't sound bad at all.  _


	27. Mission goes Awry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some NSFW content. ☕

A letter was spread on the table, having read by the receiver who was hiding his frustration with his old eyes. He knew that King Morty would send him such a letter, expecting him to follow through with it. He rubbed his temple, knowing that they were doing this to break him. 

He was the only one left in the royal house who was loyal to King Hala. His name was Henry Forte, King Hala's distant cousin and had been his supporter for as long as he lived. While he never said to whom his loyalty lied, it was shown in his action. Despite that, he was still given the power to control the East Campsite due to his expertise. 

The letter, from a king who was ruling the country with cruelty and greed, contained a message that brought grief to his heart. 

"I cannot sacrifice my grandson for an experiment!" he grabbed the ink and feather pen, writing down a reply letter to the king to dispute his involvement in the second wave of the experiment. A few days later, he received another reply threatening that his whole family would be captured and tortured for treason if he neglected his duty. 

Henry's grandson was only ten years old. There was so much life left in him for Henry to throw it all away. "How can I possibly let the experiment take place?!" 

On a child? Yet, the threat on the rest of them was never just a threat when it came to King Morty. If it was going to be done, then it would be better that he was present to witness it all. 

He finally wrote a piece of letter back to King Morty. It was short and simple without much refusal on his part. After putting down his letter, he called for the servant to deliver it to the castle. 

Then, he called his grandson to see him. "Paulo, have a seat", said Henry, trying to put up a smile as he spoke. 

"Yes, grandpapa? Why have you called me to your study?" asked Paulo. 

"Would you like to come with me to the East Campsite? You can learn a bit about the cavalry". 

"Really? Can I really go with you?" 

"Yes, Paulo. How do you feel about it?" 

"I want to grandpapa! I want to see the knights!" 

It was all happening and he couldn't stop it. "Then, in three days, we will be going there". 

"I'm so excited!" the child jumped from the chair and went over to him, throwing his arms around his hand, hugging him with happiness. Henry wanted to call it off but he knew if Paulo wasn't the one, another innocent child would become the victim.

Henry brushed the child's bang lovingly.  _ Oh, sweet child of mine. I wish I could protect you.  _ He thought. 

Yet, he was only holding a hay while the king was holding a stick. He couldn't fight with just a hay that would snap in his hand. How truly powerless was he! 

He had to keep his house standing until the day the King's successor would return to reclaim what had been lost. The army in his care were all swearing loyalty to the previous regime in their hearts. They believed that the day would come. 

_ Until then, I have to make this sacrifice.  _

\--------

It was in the middle of the night when Goh woke up feeling restless. He had everything in his hand at the moment but he could feel it, he just knew it that good things would never last. What was bothering him he wondered. Was it the fact that Ash had promised him a lifelong adventure together?

He propped his arm on his cheek, looking at the snoring man beside him. He wanted to just see him, taking in all of his features, looking out for his silly habits in his sleep. Pikachu was sleeping next to Ash's pillow, its tail resting on Ash's forehead. 

"Aren't you just a silly man?" he mumbled and snickering at Ash. 

His voice must have woken Ash up when he blinked sleepily and looked at Goh blankly. "You're not sleeping?" he asked. 

"I can't sleep", admitted Goh. 

"Oh, that's awful. Few weeks ago, when I first arrived here, my sleeping schedule went haywired", yawned Ash as he fell back to sleep. "I couldn't fall asleep. Haaa", he yawned wider. 

"Just go back to sleep, Ash", Goh said, chuckling as he watched Ash struggle to keep up with the conversation. Ash snored, feeling dead tired from the travel they had today. 

What was this feeling he felt? There wasn't any form of sickness but why was when he was looking at Ash, he felt like this illusion would be gone? It was worrying but it could be due to the nature of their mission. 

They would be alright, he believed. Ren had put so much research on their plan. They had ensured to take precaution, making several escape plans while revising their strategy. They had done all things possible to ensure smooth stake out. 

_ That's why… I should not be worrying about this.  _

Too much concern would complicate the investigation. 

He hovered above Ash and lowered his head to kiss his forehead. Ash hummed before snoring, his posture relaxing and his lips turned into a smile. Perhaps, he was having a good dream from it. 

Goh got out from the tent and saw Ren studying his grimoire and slapping a yawn with his hand. He had to ensure that it all went smoothly the next day and it made him nervous that he was going to transfigure two well known characters. He couldn't afford to make any mistakes. 

"I'll keep watch, Ren. Why don't you take a break?" said Goh. 

Goh waking up in the middle of the night was a blessing for Ren. "Thank you, His Majesty", he said and decided to lay off for the day. He went to his sleeping mat and pulled up the blanket to his chin. In the fire that crackled, Goh's thought drifted to his uneasiness. He easily fell back to it. Sighing he wondered if it was just him worrying over nothing. 

"Can I just take a breath and think nothing of it?" he said, trying to calm the butterfly in his stomach. "We'll be alright. We'll be alright", he read the mantra in his head. 

"Fine, I can't take this anymore. Someone needs to take this off my mind", he stood up after it kept poisoning his thoughts. He returned to the tent and picked Pikachu up, carefully depositing it next to Ren. Then he went back into the tent, pulling Ash by his arms. 

"Wuh… I'm sleepy, Goh", Ash turned to the other side when Goh began to shower his face with kisses. Goh winced when he felt the stubbles pricking him. 

"How come you're pretty thorny here?" asked Goh. 

"Just because you're blessed with smooth skin that I will too", somehow Ash was offended by the question. "It's a man thing so deal with it". 

Goh touched his chin and touched Ash's face. "It's quite different. I can't relate to this man thing you're on about", said Goh. 

"Can I go to sleep now?" asked Ash, closing his eyes. The answer he received was more kisses on his face. When Ash tilted his head to hide his cheek, Goh went for the back of his neck, sucking on his skin until the area became red. Ash's eyes snapped open when the pain got to him. 

"Did you give me a hickey just so that I will wake up?" he deadpanned. He was a little moody with the sleepiness clouding his head. 

"You don't like it there?" asked Goh, raising his eyebrow. 

"I feel only pain", Ash admitted, sitting up. 

"What? Did I do it wrong?" 

"The technique is right but the place is wrong", Ash pinned Goh suddenly on his back. "Before you start anything, you should try to look around first". 

Ash snuck a hand in Goh's pants, only to find that the other was already half erect. "Did kissing a half asleep man get you into this state?" asked Ash. 

"Not really…"

"I don't know that you have this kind of kink". 

"It's not because I was kissing you when you're half asleep", Goh argued, covering his face in shame. 

"What a needy king", said Ash, smirking in amusement and brushed his fingers on it. He made it light to punish the other for waking him up in the middle of night. 

"We can stop if you really don't want it", said Goh, his voice muffled by his palms. 

"I can go back to sleep but you would probably finish this yourself", said Ash. 

"So what? It's not like I can't use my right hand to do the job", said Goh. 

"It'd be a waste", Ash ran his nimble fingers and was pleased when Goh arched at his touch. "When you're this needy, you're the most sensitive".

"What… Ahhh", Goh let out a strangled moan behind his hands. 

"You never let out that kind of sound", Ash's eyes widened in surprise. His hand was toying with Goh, pleased that he was pushing Goh to his edge. He released it once it was fully up and ran a thumb on Goh's inner thigh. 

"Stop teasing!" 

"I'm not. I'm giving a lesson on how to leave a hickey", Ash pulled Goh's pants to his knees, poking at the soft skin near the crotch and bent down. 

His lips connected with the skin, sucking it hard as he gnawed lightly on it while his hand was caressing Goh's erection with featherly touch. Goh lowered down one hand and gathered Ash's hair strands in his hold. When his hair brushed against him, he stifled a moan quickly with his mouth. 

He felt like a fruit being chewed on. Not fully bitten but half way in. Ash was eating him and licking him. Ash was savoring him and getting him off. 

"Um…" he felt himself ejaculating. Ash patted the reddish mark and returned to his side of the tent. Meanwhile Goh turned to face the opposite side to catch his breath. 

"How does getting a hickey feel?" asked Ash, grinning at the messy state Goh was in. 

"Urghh, it's good", Goh huffed and covered his face again. 

"Don't worry about it. Practice makes perfect. Although… You would have a hard time finding my erogenous zone. The stubble is a proof of my solid body", boasted Ash. 

"Stubble… I see", Goh turned and swiped his hand lightly under Ash's chin. Ash flinched away from his touch but immediately collected himself. 

"You like it under your chin. I'll wait until the stubble is all gone and I'll eat your lower jaw", Goh huffed and pulled his pants up to his waist without getting up from his lying position. He should've known since Ash loved to put his chin on Pikachu's head and sighed at the fuzzy fur feeling. 

Ash gulped and pulled the blanket up his nose to protect himself. He hoped Goh won't try anything on him tonight. 

\-----------

"Pika", Ren winced when he felt a small paw patting his cheeks a few times. "Pika!" 

The morning breeze was biting his cheeks and Ren snuggled deeper into his blanket. The incessantly slapping on his face made him want to freeze the time so it would stay in place and let him have a peaceful sleep. Alas, he didn't have the power to control time. Most importantly, where is the father of the Pikachu? 

Veins could be seen in his eyeballs, almost making it scarlet. Pikachu looked at him with cautious eyes. 

"Pika!!!" 

"Good morning, Pikachu but I would like to get some sleep", said Ren. 

"Pika! Pika!!" Pikachu waved its hand at a direction and Ren followed with his eyes. He lurched up when he saw a Skwovet going through his sack. 

"NOO!!!!!!" Ren crawled to the bag, scaring the Skwovet and it ran after searching Ren's stash of the potion ingredient. Ren looked into the sack and checked the ingredient items. 

"Oh no, the Razz berry!" he took the remaining out. "I'm only left enough to make a potion with this!" 

How did it happen? Wasn't the king on watch after he went to sleep? He turned to where the log was. The king wasn't there. 

"I should've known…" his eyes bleed with tears. 

When the king and his lover woke up (What's with the ruffled hair? Also, Pikachu was the first to notice so it must have been outside), Ren had a suspicion that they were pretty busy last night. Before they did wake up though, he managed to find a replacement berry but he wasn't sure if it would be the same. However, according to the grimoire, it could be done with minor adjustment. 

"Good morning, His Majesty and the Emperor", greeted Ren. 

"Good morning… Oh, I was supposed to keep watch yesterday", Goh was suddenly reminded of his role. 

"Not to worry. Everything is good!" said Ren. He prepared a small pit for him to make the mixture. "I've prepared some oatmeal. They're next to the log. Go ahead while I prepare the potion mix". 

While Goh and Ash were eating their food, Ren made the first potion. He had to separate it because the ingredient might mix together and become a different potion. He couldn't risk that and so he kept it separate. 

When it was done, he gave it to Ash. "You might want to drink this while it's still warm". 

"Thank you", said Ash, taking the potion's cup. He wanted to offer it to Goh but the other let him have it. 

"We are going to see if your body will change since you use aura power", said Goh. 

Ash finished his oatmeal and drank the potion. The effect wasn't immediate but he felt his body tingled and his muscle contracted to a smaller size. Ash groaned in pain as the transformation took place. Goh was by his side, helping him to endure it. He was filled with worry but soon, the clothes became too loose and he was smaller in size. 

"It works!" said Goh excitedly. "He looks ten!" 

"Wow, even my voice becomes childlike", said Ash in amazement. 

Ren gave him a thumbs up. Now, he had prepared another portion for him and the king using the replacement ingredient. Although he was doubtful, there wasn't much he could do. Hopefully, he got the measurement right. 

"Here's one for us", said Ren, passing the potion to Goh. They both drank it and waited for the effect to take place. Nothing was happening for a while and Ren wondered if he messed up the potion. 

They both turned to look at Ash and Pikachu. That was when Goh felt a familiar sensation of his body changing. He grew smaller and smaller. However, he noted how he was becoming a little too short. 

"Eh?" why was he looking at the world as if he was tinier than a human child. 

It was then when Ash blurted out with his face looking dumbfounded. 

"Both of you have become Pikachus". 

  
  



	28. Pika Problem

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I want this. I want Pikachus

"Why do you have to mess it up?!" 

"His Majesty, it's your fault that we're stuck in this form!" 

"How dare you put the blame on me?" 

"You know I'm right. What were you doing anyway?" 

The two bantered. Goh was in a bit of predicament. While he would like to be held by his husband, not when he was a Pikachu where he was subjected to daylight groping. 

"You are so fluffy, soft and squishy", Ash rubbed the fur against his jaw. He couldn't resist the temptation of feeling the fur against his skin. It was heaven. 

"Stop rubbing me against your skin! I'm not a towel!" scolded Goh, having been manhandled by his husband. He had changed out of the baggy cloth to clothes fitting a ten years old. They found a wardrobe filled with children's cloth in the abandoned house and Ash washed them, dried them near the pit before wearing it. 

"But you're so cute!" 

"Will you stop manhandling me!" 

"Awww, what's got in your Pikwachu panties… " Ash cooed. 

"Oh my Arceus, put me down right at this moment!" 

"Can you say Pika? I promise I will put you down after you say it". 

The brownish black pebble eyes looked at him suspiciously. "You better keep your word". 

"Um". 

"... Pika", Goh mumbled softly. 

"You're so cute!!!!" Ash squealed and rubbed his face against Goh. 

"You said you'll put me down!!!!" For the first time, Goh let out electricity from his body to zap Ash. However, the other was so used to it that he resisted the pain and continued to have his ways. 

"Pika! Pikapi! Pika!!!" Ash watched Pikachu circling him around, trying to get his attention. Ash let Pikachu jump onto his shoulder and it perched there. There were other Pikachus besides it, causing a strike of jealousy and using its tail, Pikachu tried to push Goh away from Ash's hold. 

"Pikachu!" Ash tried to stop it but Pikachu was having none of it. 

"Pika. Pika!" 

"I think Pikachu is jealous", said Ren. 

"It's sweet". Goh smiled, bearing the tail repetetively hitting his head. Pikachu was a blessing. At least, it had gotten its message across. When Ash finally put him down, Pikachu's legs twitched in happiness. Meanwhile, Ash looked like he had lost the most precious thing in his hand. 

Preferring the ground, Goh didn't give sympathy to the man. He sat on his back and swinged his tail left and right. Like a clock's pendulum it swayed, with Ash carefully following the motion with his eyes. 

"I wish I was a Pikachu", said Ash. 

"Do you even understand what you're asking?" Goh scoffed. "And besides, we need to distribute some work before heading to the campsite. Let's not think too much about your wish". 

He waited until everyone was listening. "Alright, we need to divide some tasks and these were the tasks that I have thought about while you were busy groping me". 

"It's not everyday you have furs", Ash made his point. 

Goh ignored him and continued with his planning. "First we need to hide our belongings. We can do this together. Next, we need to scout the campsite for any possible ways to enter the camp. That would be me and Ren while you stay here". 

"What? Why can't I go with you?" asked Ash. 

"Because you're a human child. A lost pokemon would have a better excuse than you would", said Goh. 

"This is why I'd rather be a Pikachu". 

"... Does the deaging potion actually backtrack his way of processing information , Ren?" asked Goh. 

"Hmm, maybe it's a side effect. I've never tried it on myself", said Ren. 

"I see. Assuming that is the case, then Ash is actually thinking like a ten years old would". 

"I'm not ten and I can hear you", Ash stuck his tongue out. 

"He's proving my point", said Goh in amusement. "Alright, since we have a plan now, why don't we test something first?" 

"What are we testing out, His Majesty?" asked Ren. He was still a tad angry to be stuck in Pikachu form but the feeling had dwindled down. 

"If we're still able to use magic in this form". Goh wagged his tail excitedly. 

"Oh". 

"What's with you two?" asked Goh. 

"So having electricity is not good enough? You want magic when you can do thunderbolts ?" asked Ash, crossing his arms. 

"Why are you arguing about this?" asked Goh. Where was Ash going with this? 

"I have to protect Pikachu's rights. As a Pikachu, you should only use Pikachu's moves". 

"What is your point, Ash?" 

"My point is, when I say Thunder, you'll use thunder. When I say 100,000 bolts, then you'll do 100,000 bolts". 

Goh gawked at Ash. It was like arguing with a child. He still didn't understand the point Ash was trying to make. 

"Are you always this passionate about Pikachu?" asked Goh. 

"I love Pokemon and I think they should embrace their traits". 

"I am a human, Ash. Not a Pikachu!" 

"Do you have a tail? Do you have paws? Do you have circles on your cheeks? Do you need a mirror?" 

When Ren saw Goh was about to flip out, he dragged him to the side. "Let's just humour him. He's ten". 

"He's turning 21 next year!" 

"He's ten now", said Ren. "We'll do the magic test when we set off for the campsite. For now, just try to be cooperative". 

Goh begrudgingly agreed. He'll cooperate. For now. 

\--------

Tiny feets snuck past the bush and the tip of the tail could be seen bristling when they stopped to see the area they were in. Goh sniffed the air - being a Pikachu allowed him to sense the scent in the air. His cheeks flared with electricity when he saw a movement in the distance and he perceived human odour with his overly sensitive nose. 

Ren and Goh took cover and watched the group of Ecruteak's soldiers making their rounds in the camp bound. 

"Let's follow them", said Goh in a whisper. 

Ren nodded. They carefully trudged behind the group, hoping to be led to an entryway. There were three of them and they were all young. Seeing how they were patrolling near the campsite, the soldiers were probably new recruits. 

When they stopped at a river to take a break from duty, Goh casted a magic spell to make himself invisible to come closer and hid behind the boulder they were sitting on. He was small and that was an advantage. 

Ren stayed in hiding to back him up when needed. 

The youth were sharing stories of their work. Even at an early stage of recruitment, the king could tell their temperament and who would have success in the future. They were a mix of teams, probably someone who had met each other at an entrance exam. 

_ They haven't noticed me. I should come closer _ . 

Goh climbed atop the boulder next to them, watching the conversation. 

"So, Thomas, how was the new rank?" 

"Oh, it was tough. I have never seen hellish training in my life!"

"It's different to be in the star center group! Must have a lot of expectations on you". 

"Huh, I wish I can be relaxing like you, Rafael". 

"Cheer up, Thomas. You'll get there". 

"Thanks John".

The young soldiers were called Rafael, John and Thomas. Thomas was a successful young soldier, having entered a ranked team. Rafael and John were in the normal units. 

"Any news for us, eh?" asked John, nudging Thomas' side. 

"The captain said the royal house in charge of our site is making a visit in two days. He said a child is in the visitation too so I was supposed to take care of him". 

"So you have to babysit him?" asked Rafael. 

"Yeah". 

"Too bad", John chuckled. 

_ A visitation? Hmm… I think this is our chance.  _

Goh stood on his feet to leave the group. He was going to jump from the boulder when he tripped on his tail and fell ungracefully on the ground. 

"Oof!" 

The sound attracted the three and they looked down at where the sound is coming from. 

"Oh, there's a Pikachu", said John. 

"... What's a Pikachu doing in this part of the kingdom? They're not supposed to be in this region", said Thomas. 

"Hmm… Probably lost his owner". 

"We should take him to the village and see if someone is looking for him". 

_ … Crap, I undid the magic by accident.  _

Goh hurriedly picked himself up and tried to look adorable. "Pika?" he added in a confused tilt. 

"Aww…." 

As they swooned, he dashed from the place into the forest. Ren caught up with him and only when they were away from the campsite bound did he ask. 

"His Majesty, were you able to learn anything?" 

"Yes, there is a visitation in two days. There will be a child present. If we could find a way to swap Ash with him, we could easily enter the campsite", said Goh. 

"Swapping places… What about the child?" 

"We'll put him to sleep". 

"That's cruel!" Ren gasped, imagining a murder scene happening. 

"No, I mean it literally. Give him a sleeping antidote and we hide him inside somewhere safe". 

"Where?" 

"I was thinking that maybe you can help keep an eye on him and Pikachu while I accompany Ash into the campsite. I will pose as his Pokemon". 

"I guess I can do that", said Ren. 

"Hopefully, it will be a short trip". 

They have the means to go into the camp but a proper planning was due. If it went smoothly and they managed to learn a lot, then Ecruteak was as good as theirs. 

He could feel it. They were only one step closer in achieving the goal. 

"We'll find a way", he muttered. 

\--------

"Ash, Ash, listen, honey", Goh sandwiched Ash's cheeks with his paws. He and Ren had returned from the campsite which took him such a long time to make a round trip that he spent the whole evening on foot to head back to their base. He had to face some pokemons in the wilderness and he had learnt that Pikachus had some natural enemies that kept ambushing them from the tall grass. 

By the time he was back, all roughed up from the attacks, he expected to give a smooth briefing but Ash kept finding issues and arguing about how he wasn't Pikachu enough. He stared with his pebble eyes into the pair of young brown eyes, stressing out at the fact they were going nowhere. 

"Oh now I am honey to you? You never call me that, " Ash disputed. 

"Okay, fair enough. I'm using your deaging fact as a stepping stone for saying embarrassing things. I was wrong but, you see, you are wrong too. You cannot expect me, a twenty years old human, to suddenly master the way of a Pikachu. At best, I can sit on your lap and say Pikapi". 

"Try harder. If you don't want us to get caught, then you better act your part,  _ darling _ ", Ash smirked playfully. Goh made a shocked Pikachu face at him, slowly understanding what was happening before him. Did he just… 

"You were pretending to be ten?" asked Goh suspiciously. 

"I was indeed pretending". 

He released Ash's face, taking a few steps back and clasped his paws together. 

"I see. Well. I guess I am off to that side for a bit", said Goh, excusing himself as he walked to the tall grass.  _ Somebody please eat me alive.  _

He was no longer a virgin. They had done so much that it was beyond innocent. Yet, he felt taken advantage of. 

_ Like a piece of me just get robbed. What the hell…  _

"What's going on?" asked Ash to Ren. 

"I don't know". 

"He was just staring at the sky". 

"Oh, he's coming back. Act normally". 

Goh, his paws on his hips looked up at Ash who was brushing his shirt and clearing his throat. He, Goh, fumed. 

"How dare you dupe me?" 

"I wasn't duping you. My point is , you have to make it believable. We're going into the enemy's base". 

"You  **made** me call you  _ that _ !" 

"We can always call each other that. I would love to hear more of it". 

"..." unable to argue further, he walked to where Pikachu was sleeping.  _ I'll fucking sleep with Pikachu tonight. I'll rebel!  _

"I think he is just shy", said Ash with a small smile. 

"We'll plan the hijacking tomorrow. Good night!" they heard Goh said, brusquely tucking his tail to cuddle it, hurting himself in the process. "Ow!" 


	29. Unexpected Alliance

Ecruteak's West Military campsite had two roads connected to it. The first road ran from the village site and passed by the mountain. This was where Ash, Goh and Ren had set up their base in between the village and the campsite. The other road was connecting the capital to the campsite. They predicted that the visitors would be coming from Ecruteak's capital. If it was someone of importance, then they would live in the Opulent Acres where the privileged one were living at. 

Together, the three of them were talking about their trap setup. Goh affirmed that he was able to perform high magic despite being in a Pikachu form. 

The tail was playing the role like his staff where it helped him to concentrate the magic better although it could not tap into his magic as efficiently as a staff could. He could perform a spell that could inveigle a person into believing Ash was the child they were swapping for. Ren would be able to stop their movement into a motion freezing dimension.

Since they were Pikachu , they could combine their power to trap the carriage inside an electroweb to paralyze them temporarily before performing the dimension spell. Meanwhile, Goh was refusing to let Ash touch even a fur on his head. He was still mad about the little prank Ash had pulled on him. 

"You're going to have to forgive me sooner or later", Ash pointed out. 

"What makes you so confident that I will forgive you? I can hold back for a year. Try me", Goh said coldly. 

"You're going to let me hold you on this mission anyway. I would have to look like a kid who loves his Pikachu".

"We'll see about that". 

They had been journeying to the other side of the campsite for a few hours. Crossing it was no small feat. There were a few times they were met with a huge river and would have to find a way to get around it. After hiking through the jungles, they finally found a good place to wait for their target. Ash and Pikachu waited on one side of the road while Goh and Ren were on the other side, watching from the tall grass for an incoming carriage. 

After two hours of waiting, they heard the sound of Rapidash galloping and the sand being moved by it. They four lied low and when the carriage went into the target mark, Pikachu, Ren and Goh executed electroweb. It startled the Rapidash that it halted and the carriage whirled, sending the people inside it hammered to the wall. 

"Ren, now!" Goh shouted and Ren put his paws down on the ground, activating the dimension freezing spell. The carriage came to a stop and when Goh opened the door, he could see how some were frozen in motion while falling from their seats . 

Goh entered the carriage with Ash to check if they had the right carriage. There was a child on the carriage base, holding on to the seat and an old man who was trying to protect him. Goh came to him and muttered the memory replacement spell. 

Then he gave the man a scenario. "After this dimension spell is released, you will remember Ash as this child who is with you. Meanwhile, I will be your pokemon". 

"Seriously? I thought you're going to be with me throughout the mission". 

"I changed my mind", said Goh, smirking at Ash. 

"How long are you going to be like this?" 

"I don't know. Maybe after you decided not to pull that kind of thing again". 

"I'm sorry, Please forgive me!" 

"You don't sound apologetic". 

Goh jumped down from the man's lap and watched as Ash carried the child out from the carriage. They placed him underneath a tree with Ren while Pikachu watched the child with great curiosity . 

"Slip in the sleeping antidote, Ren", said Goh. Ren waited for Ash to take out the mixture he had prepared the day before from his sack and poured the sleeping antidote into his mouth. 

"We should get going", Goh said, boarding the carriage and taking position. Ash replaced the child's position and when they were ready, Ren undid the spell. The carriage swerved to a halt. The moment it stopped, the old man checked on him worriedly. 

"Are you alright, my grandchild?" 

"Y-yes, grandfather", Ash nodded. 

_ Ah, it's probably him taking the child for a tour in the campsite.  _ Goh thought to himself. 

"Pikachu. Where's Pikachu?" the old man searched for him. 

Goh watched as Ash snickered at him. He knew what was going to happen next. _ That damn smile, I want to fucking wipe it.  _

"Pikachu, if you're there, answer us!" Ash said, his tone was dripping with fake worry. 

"Pikachu?" the old man called. 

"Maybe a Pika would do", Ash said, joining in the search. 

_ I would like to give him a piece of my mind after this whole thing is over _ , Goh huffed. 

He exhaled his exasperation and resigned to his fate. "Pika!" 

"There you are, Pikachu. I was worried", said the old man and picked Goh up with great care. 

"Grandpa, can you let me hold Pikachu?" asked Ash. He was going to win this battle. His request was however disturbed by the sound of the door opening. 

"It seems like the Rapidash was just shocked by the presence of a pokemon on the road. We saw a Pikachu running into the tall grass. It must have been the one causing the electric shock", the soldier reported. 

"I see. We shall continue with our journey. Now Paulo, let me know if you are hurt", said the old man. 

"I am fine". 

"Then, we're good to go", he ordered the soldier. 

"Yes sir!" 

\---------------

"Lift up the gate!" cried a soldier when he spotted the incoming carriage. The gatekeepers were hard at work, turning the wheel to raise the iron bar. The cranking sound of the metal bars cloaked over the voices of the soldiers that they were shouting to get the message across. 

The carriage entered the gate at a high speed before coming to a stop in front of a two storey building. A small number of officers were waiting for the carriage arrival. Once the door was opened, the officers saluted the visitors. 

"His highness Henry Forte, welcome back to the East Camp!" they greeted. 

"It is good to see all of you here", he said, nodding at them with a kind smile. He then stepped aside to introduce the child he was bringing with him. "This is my grandson, Paulo. Paulo, say your greeting to the officers". 

"Um, good afternoon. My name is Paulo. Nice to meet you", said Ash, remembering the name of his assumed persona. The officers extended the welcome to him.

"Is the visitor from Viridian Kingdom here?" asked Henry. 

"They are waiting in the lobby". 

"Then I would like to speak with them. Who is the man in charge for the tour?"

"That would be me, His Highness. I am Thomas". 

"Then, please guide him around".

Ash watched as Goh and Henry went separate ways. Goh turned to look at Ash. He had a feeling that something was not right. A Viridian Kingdom representative in the East campsite was a red flag to him. 

_ What are they doing here? _ Goh asked. 

Henry, the name Goh soon learnt bore the nobility title, followed the two officers to a waiting lobby. There, a man was sitting on the guest chair, looking at him with cold eyes. He had red highlighted hair and black, long enough to be put in a top knot. 

"Lord Arlos", Henry greeted the guest. "I hope I didn't make you wait long". 

"Not at all. I've just arrived myself", said Arlos. 

"Let's go to my study. There are a few things that I'd like to speak to you about", said Henry. 

They changed location to a neat study and Arlos sat on the sofa made for comfort. It bounced a little when he sat on it. Henry settled down on the opposite side with Pikachu (Goh) on his lap. Both of them were there to speak their minds but only one of them wore the expression of worry on him. Arlos decided to speak first. 

"I assume that you want to talk to me about the experiment that would be carried out on your grandson?" asked Arlos. 

Henry studied the unreadable expression of Minister Arlos, the man who had been sent down here to monitor the progression of the process. This was their first time meeting but it gave him an idea how a Viridian Kingdom function, how the ruling class were like there. 

"Yes. I would like to understand what you are trying to achieve from the experiment", said Henry. 

Henry knew Arlos would not give him a direct answer. 

"I will not be able to share it to you as the information is classified", said Arlos. 

"You're doing this experiment on my grandson! I have every right to know if this experiment is going to kill him!" 

"I see. If that is your concern, let me assure you that we have everything under control. It is true that the first experiment had gone awry but this time, we are establishing a seed rather than the whole concoction so his body could take the changes at a safer pace", said Arlos. 

"I still do not understand the purpose of making such a horrid substance". 

"There is no need for you to understand. Instead", Arlos stood up and tossed a knife at Henry. Goh saw the knife coming at them and hardened his tail to block it from reaching them. 

"Tch", Arlos clicked his tongue when he missed. "That would have taken you out if not for your Pikachu. This is a warning. Do not question our authority". 

When Arlos left, Goh watched Henry covered his face with both of his palms, sliding it down and heaved a frustrating sound. 

"I don't know what I should do now. If only King Hala is here…" If the regime had been with King Hala's family, then Viridian would not stick their noses in the kingdom's politics. Things wouldn't have come to this where his grandchild would be forced into an experiment against his will and he had no power to stop it. 

He didn't realize that there was another character who was more concerned about the conversation. From what he gathered, they were developing a substance in which it was going through a human trial. 

He broke the spell to get Henry to talk to him. He knew for a fact that this old man was a King Hala's follower. Treading carefully, he decided to speak. 

"About just now, what was that?" Goh opened his mouth to ask. 

"..." Henry stared at Goh in silence. A talking Pikachu was what he least expected today. His eyes studied the pokemon, wary of the fact that it was displaying a sort of intelligence. To gain the old man's trust, Goh introduced himself but left his name out. 

"I am a Magician and I can assure you, your grandson is safe. However, in place of your grandson at the moment is my husband and this whole conversation you're having is unsettling". 

"Did you swap my grandson with someone else? Are you Vermillion's magician?" 

"Yes. We casted a spell on you so that you will think he is your grandson", said Goh. He got the old man's attention and now he needed to get him to trust him."We are on King Hala's side. I cannot go into too much detail but please, I need to know what experiment you are performing here". 

Henry shook his head. Truthfully, he didn't know about it either. If he had, he would have taken action by himself but they promised him that it would not kill the child. It was a hard decision to make when there were so many to lose. Henry didn't answer Goh any more than that but knowing that his grandson is safe gave him hope. 

A favor was requested from Henry Forte in exchange for saving the boy's life. 

"If you couldn't answer, the least you could do is to help me locate him", pleaded Goh. Henry gave it a thought. It wasn't planned but the unexpected had turned the wheel in a different direction. Truly, he was indebted to them for his grandson's life. 

They didn't have much time. They had to find the magician's companion and left the campsite. 

"I'll help you find him. Get on", he said, letting Goh perched on his shoulder. 

\---------

"He is in a state of deep sleep". Inside the room, there were four people. Two of which were the Viridian's knight, a coerced nurse Joy and a brilliant herbalist, Sebastian. The herbalist, Sebastian, checked on the boy's pulse. 

When he was left alone with Thomas, they had instructed a servant to serve them medicated teas and it put them to sleep instantly. Then, they moved the child to a different room, a chamber where they would try a clinical trial on the boy. 

Sebastian carefully poured a spoonful of the liquid concoction, administering them slowly with small tips of the liquid into the child's mouth. He made sure that it flowed down the throat until the whole spoon was gone. 

"It will seep into his body and would incubate in it for as long as it needs. This kind of thing cannot be forced. We have to be patient to see the effect of it", he explained to the other people in the room. They should not recreate the first failure they had. The man, upon administering too much and too fast of a change to his body, died miserably in the clinical test. On the second run, he created a less potent concoction to let it adapt into the flesh. 

Until then, until the sign appeared, they had to wait. "It could take months, it could take years. It all depends on the person. But when it happens, he will return to Viridian himself". 

The other occupants jotted down his words. 

"Such is Snow Queen decoction. It's my ultimate creation". The man talked about it as if it was just a factual thesis. No evil laughter behind it. Just purely experimental. It was grimmly for the rest of them. This man's objective surpassed evil intention. His intention was only to see his creation blooming successfully . 

The boy was still sleeping and he asked for the Viridian's soldier to carry him back to where the young guide was. "Make sure that he rested comfortably. Can't afford my subject to be broken before his time is due". 

When Goh and Henry found Thomas and Ash, they had yet to see anyone else around. Thomas was sleeping not too far from where Ash was. There wasn't a sign that anything had happened in the room. 

"I'm glad. He's alright", Goh sighed and jumped down to the floor. He clambered onto the sofa and climbed atop of Ash.  _ What a peaceful looking face he had _ , he thought. He cut the end of it with a slap on Ash's cheek. 

"Oof! Aah?" Ash tilted his head forward in confusion. "What happened?" 

"We have no time to lose. Let's go. We need to leave now", said Goh. 

"You must be the magician's companion. For now, can you help pretend to be sickly? I would like to cut the visit quickly and take my grandson back", explained Henry. 

"Oh, sure". Ash nodded. The old man didn't sound like he was under any spell. He picked Goh up, cradling him and followed Henry, albeit a little wobbly from the sleepiness. 

"Hm, I feel dizzy", he said but paid no mind to it. It would get better once they were outside. 

"I'll ask Ren to make some herbal tea for you", said Goh. 

"That would be nice", he yawned. Hopefully, he'd get to return to his actual form soon. The transformation was screwing with his body state that he felt everything was arduous work. 

They got out of the campsite with ease. Ash really didn't look too well, he could barely keep his eyes open. When they were in the carriage, he tried to stay awake but fell pleasantly into a doze after fighting it for too long. Goh was keeping an eye on him. Was the potion strenuous on a non-magician? 

They stopped near the place where they had performed the swap. After showing the old man where the boy was, the group wanted to take their leave but Henry thought that he would like to learn more about the peculiar characters he had just met. 

"Why don't you stay over. I will accommodate you. Not in the Opulent acres of course but I have a house near here", said Henry. 

"There is nothing to lose. I feel like if I were to talk to you, you and I will be on the same page. Let me reintroduce myself. I am King Goh, from Vermillion kingdom". 

Who would not know the name? They were neighbouring kingdoms and he was there during the coronation day of the young king. 

"I wouldn't think I would be seeing you in this state. Come, let me give you a place to stay", Henry insisted. 

The group, especially Ash, was thankful for the offer. 


	30. A Summer House Dialogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UwU I feel bad for what I've done today. Not gunna lie. Guilt. 😢
> 
> But here is another update 😣 sorry for the delay.
> 
> Also, thank you for having come this far with me. I never wrote this lengthy and I actually enjoy this. (Literally hinting there will be a part 3 to this)

Henry's villa was as spacious as the one owned by High General Kukui. It was a two storeys building and when they entered it, it wasn't the usual grey stone wall structure. The villa used the same material as the one in the Yadon palace, marbles and even when it was night, the moonlight fell onto the surface and swept the corner with its shine.

Mid Autumn was coming closer and they could see the trees shaking slightly at the gentle breeze. It was a quiet night, unlike the ones in the South. Sometimes, the hooting of the owls would fall onto deaf ears because of the silence that was almost constantly there. 

Inside the room, Ren and Pikachu were sharing a bed while Goh and Ash occupied another. When they arrived at the Villa, Ash had broken into a fever and it worried Goh. The servant was kind enough to help with changing him out of his clothes and wiping him to remove the grime and dirt before putting Ash to bed. 

No longer feeling the anger, more of concern, he checked on the fever with his paws. Ash was really sweating from the heat. The body of a child is fragile and yet it was something he didn't expect Ash to get, considering how healthy he was generally.

"I can't sleep when he is this sickly", said Goh, keeping a good distance to stop any spreading of the fever. He hugged his tail like a body pillow, his lips pouted, Ash never leaving his sight. "He was alright this morning. Did he eat wrongly?" 

He wasn't a healer and healing was a specialized magic form like divination that only people with the gifted attribute could use it. Earlier on he had asked Ren to mix some herbal tea to help with the fever. At least it would help Ash fight it off. 

"Nnn…" Ash stirred and opened his eyes slightly. Goh stretched his paw to calm him down, gently caressing his hair. 

"Are you alright, h-honey?" he was stuttering when saying the pet name but he tried to coddle Ash to make him feel slightly better. 

"I don't feel so good", Ash mumbled weakly, pressing his thumb on the side of his head. He didn't notice that Goh was calling him by a pet name since his head felt like it could crack open.

"Do you remember what happened when we weren't there with you?" 

"Yeah… A bit. After you left, Thomas brought me to see the layout of the camp. Then we ate a bit of cake for tea and I don't remember what happened after that. I guess you woke me up. I think I fell asleep". 

"It could be the cake. It probably upset your stomach". 

"Yeah. I don't know but I wish right now I could hug you. I really want my human Goh back", whined Ash, feeling the longing of cuddling with Goh. It would serve as comfort on days like this. 

Goh was flattered and felt his stomach brewing with unexplainable colours of emotions in his heart. If only he could, he would have offered a warm embrace to sooth a sickly emperor. In his tiny fuzzy arm, all he could do was scooted closer and put his tail in Ash's open palm. 

"I'm sorry, I can't get the furs on you. You might get a terrible fever because of it. Have my tail instead". 

"You're very considerate Goh", Ash yawned and went back to sleep. Goh relaxed when he saw Ash slept better after the night talk. 

"Sleep tight, honey", he whispered softly with a gentle beam on his face. 

\----------

The blanket was warm. After days of sleeping in tents, the inviting fluffiness of the pillow and the mattress was a much welcomed break from the cold hard ground. Goh didn't want to move his face from the soft pillow and snuggled closer to it. He was only rouse when he heard shrieking from the door and a quick slam of it. He turned his head towards the entrance, his head still quite attached to the pillow. 

"What's wrong with her?" he muttered before shutting his eyes again. Then he blinked open again, staring directly at Ash's sleeping face. He checked the temperature with the back of his hand. "It's better now… oh". 

Goh turned bright red when he saw how his paws had become human hands again. He looked down and realized that he had been sleeping butt naked.  _ She saw me like this…  _ He pulled the blanket up and saw Ren had also returned to their human form except with a slight defect of Pikachu's ears. He dragged himself out of the bed to check himself out in the mirror for any abnormality. 

Everything was normal for him. If only he had a way to ask for a change of clothes… A guard walked in to announce that they were asked to join Henry for breakfast. 

"That would be great. If you don't mind, can you also get me a change of clothes? Also, that man might need a change too", he pointed at Ren. 

"We'll arrange that immediately!" said the guard and he informed the other servants about Goh's request. Ren woke up at all the noises, rubbing his eyes to get rid of the sleepiness. When he saw Goh was back to normal, he looked down and was elated to find out that he too had returned to his original form. The defective potion must have such a short sustaining timespan and was unable to keep that form for too long but he was glad that it was defective. He'd prefer his human body anytime over a pokemon. 

Goh let Ash have his rest. The fever was letting down but he shouldn't be forced to move about so quickly. For him, he would still have a few more days to go in the body of a child before he would be back to normal. He leaned in, pressing his lips on Ash's cheeks, whispering,"Love you. Get better soon". 

"That image is so wrong on many levels", said Ren to himself but Goh heard him and chucked a pillow at Ren. 

"His Majesty, please refrain from destroying the property of the host! It is unbecoming" Ren crossed his arms over his face to protect himself from the flying pillow. He was often interacting with Ren in a formal setting and this side of him was irking Goh. 

"He is twenty years old for goodness sake!" cried Goh. 

"Goh, stop screaming. My head's hurting", whined Ash as he rolled over to face the other side. 

"I'm sorry", he apologized quickly, "do you want to eat something?" 

"I don't think I can at the moment". 

"I'll ask for some soup for you. You still need to have something". 

"Un". 

It was at that moment, Goh realized that he quite liked the idea of nursing Ash back to health. He left the chamber after Ren was all done getting himself into a proper attire. In the dining room, Henry was waiting for them, accompanied by his grandson, Paulo. 

"It's a lovely day, isn't it, King Goh?" asked Henry, quickly offering him a seat. 

"It is. I apologize for our lateness. We ran into quite a predicament this morning". 

"Don't you worry about that. Please have some food. It is the least I could do for you". 

Goh saw an opportunity lying in wait at the dining table. In fact, if he could play his card right, he might gain an ally among the Ecruteak's cavalry. Henry was tied to the East campsite unit in a way and if he could perceive what the role and influence does this man have, he would be able to set up a hidden trap in their strategy. 

"That's not true", said Goh. 

"Oh?" Henry was intrigued at Goh's implication. "I'd like to hear your reasoning". 

"It is a fairly simple reasoning", said Goh, cracking the egg with a spoon and adding a bit of salt and pepper to taste. "At the campsite, I heard you mentioned the name of King Hala. It leads me to believe that you are the previous regime supporter?" 

"Indeed. I couldn't deny it. I was a close friend with Hala". 

"Then we are on the same page".

"On the same page? Is that why you are here in Ecruteak? As a Pikachu?" 

"The Pikachu part is unplanned but yes, I am here in Ecruteak for a crucial reason". 

"Such as intel collections, I presumed?" 

"I cannot affirm or deny it unless I know that I could understand clearly your role and your political stance". 

"I see. Fair enough. Let me introduce myself. I am Henry Forte, the head of the Forte royal house. The East Campsite unit is under my command. However, a general rule in Ecruteak is that we cannot deny the king's order or it would be considered as a treason to the king". 

"How do you feel about the current regime?" 

"It is known for a fact that I and King Morty are not on the best of terms". The conversation was heading towards a direction that should not be heard by others and so he turned to the child who had just finished with his bread, "Paulo, do you want to go elsewhere to play? Our guest and I have a couple of things to discuss". 

"I'll excuse myself, grandfather", he nodded, isolating himself out from the adult's conversation. 

"I am waiting for the return of King Hala. I knew for a fact that he now resided in Alola but he doesn't seem to have the will to reclaim back the throne. His heir, the crown prince, nobody knows if he was still alive", said Henry. "Perhaps, due to the loss, he found Ecruteak as a place beyond redemption". 

He had paid him a visit after the tragic event, trying to persuade Hala to reclaim the throne but Hala had lost everything in the course of it all. His will was also broken along with the loss. 

"What if I were to tell you that the crown prince survived and had a son who would like to overthrow the current regime?" 

Henry didn't want to give himself a hope but deep inside, it twinged, hoping that it was true. "How is that possible? The whole royal houses knew that he died. They brought his corpse that was defaced…" 

"How can you be sure that it was the crown prince's corpse?" 

"You're right. I'm a foolish man to believe that", there it was the soft glimmer he was waiting for. A confirmation that not all hope had been lost. 

"There is no foolishness about it. I can understand the grief. You'd just been made to believe it at the moment when you're the least sensible", said Goh. 

"If I may ask, who is the grandson of King Hala?" 

"Hau". 

The name belonged to the notorious tribe leader who often created chaos in Opulent Acres. It shook him to learn that all this while, there had been an attempt to assassinate Hau. He could never understand King Morty's obsession to lure in the tribe leader into Opulent Acres by kidnapping tribal people. If Hau was just an ordinary tribe man, there was no need to pay heed of the man this closely. There was no need to find the best knight to ensure capture of him. 

Just by this, he could finally piece it all together. Hau was the heir they were waiting for. 

"All this while, he was right in front of our eyes", Henry was elated. "What about the crown prince?" 

"His father had left to find King Hala". 

"So the pieces had begun to move and I was out of the loop", he broke into a chuckle. "Let me help however I can. I will be joining your side". 

He got Henry and was happy with the outcome. "After breakfast, we can begin a planning phase". 

"Then, let's not waste anymore time but eat". 

"Thank you". 

\-----------

Ash was fading out. It was just the beginning but he was enthralled by an instinct that told him he was going to be erased. The whole ambience inside the place he was standing in was just a blank canvas, pure white and featureless. He wondered if his existence was going to be nothing and something else would replace him. 

**"Resist"** Goh's voice could be heard inside his head. He would do that. He would tell him again and again to resist it but he knew it was futile for the most part of it. He was going to fade, not now but surely. 

Fading out is the only option. 

He felt his shoulder being shaken lightly and the dream was forgotten. "It's time to have some food. You need to get better. Henry gave some medicine for you to take". Warm voice, accommodating , gentle and reassuring, the kind of voice that he wanted to hear in times of his fever. He blinked his eyes, tired and wearied, his hair soaked with his own sweat and sitting up, he used the headboard as support to lean on. 

His body was sluggish and just sitting up made his vision blurry. "Uhn". 

"Ash, are you alright?" asked Goh out of concern. 

"I can manage", said Ash, blocking the sunlight with his palm. 

"If it's too bright, I can pull the curtain". 

"Please". 

Goh waved his hand to cast a spell to reel the curtain in. 

"Better now?" 

"Better". 

"I brought you some soup and medicinal herbs. Do you want to eat by yourself or do you want me to help?"

"I can eat it on my own…" he stopped refusing when Goh scooped the soup to feed him. He ate it from the spoon and was slightly embarrassed by it. 

"I could eat it by myself", said Ash, scratching the side of his neck. His face was hardly pink when he blushed but his action made it all obvious that he was flustered. 

"I actually like to nurse you back to health. You are rarely sick so this is a good opportunity for me to coddle you", said Goh. 

"I'll try to get sick as often as I can then", said Ash. He felt a lot better talking to Goh cosily like this. That being said, Goh seemed to have forgiven him from his earlier prank. It gave him a space to breath despite knowing that it would eventually happen. 

"Come now, open your mouth", said Goh. 

"This is embarrassing". 

"Do you hate the idea of me feeding you food?" 

"No. No, I actually like it. A lot", said Ash, refuting that there ever be dislike in this. "It's just, I never have to eat from somebody else's hand after I can hold my own spoon". 

"I see. It's your first time. How many first have I taken from you?" 

"Falling in love is a first for me. Seeing magic is a first for me. Having twins is a first for me. I guess, there's a lot more that I could lose count", said Ash. He was taken aback by Goh's trembling as he hid his face by looking at the bowl he was holding. His lips were quivering, pressed in and his cheeks were full, reddish even. 

"H-Hey, I didn't mean to upset you", Ash stammered. 

Goh shook his head but without looking up. "No, I'm not upset. I just realized that I can't go on without you". 

"Are you happy?" asked Ash. 

"More than anything. I'll do whatever it takes to be by your side so please, ease my heart and eat", said Goh. 

Ash beckoned for the spoon and ate his fill. Simple things like this meant a lot to them and he absolutely didn't want to lose this. 

"I'm sorry that I cause you worry", said Ash. 

"You don't have control over this but you can get better", said Goh, taking another spoon for the love of his life. 

"That I will". 


	31. North Camp

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will have some Hau x Gladion

The North campsite was located the furthest among all the other campsites. It was on the other side of the capital and was also the closest to the Viridian Border. This was the first time that Gladion was on a mission as important and risky as this. Viridian was the biggest kingdom that stretched above the North plane and within it, nobody knew the activities that were carried out inside it. 

They were careful to enter the enemy territory, only choosing to travel when it was dark out. They couldn't risk being detected. Illuminated by torches, the campsite ground was visible from the sky and the three of them, Manza, Gladion and Hau descended from the sky to a nearby forest.Hau cup an ear to listen to any noise that was out of ordinary and when it was clear, then only he began to speak. 

"So, what's the plan?" asked Hau. 

"Hm… we saw the campsite and it is not too far from here. Surrounding it is a wall with archers' tower. We need to scout the weakest area or at least somewhere with the least lighting", said Gladion. 

"I see. I have a better idea. Why don't we just go in?" said Hau. 

"Huh? Are you serious? What if we get caught?" argued Gladion. 

Hau and Manza exchanged a knowing glance and grinned. 

"Don't be afraid, Gladdy", said Hau, putting his arms around Gladion's shoulder. Gladion winced at the sudden human touch but it wasn't that he was uncomfortable with the feeling of Hau's arm around him but man, do they all needed a shower. 

"I'm not afraid but your plan is too reckless!" said Gladion. 

"But being reckless gets the job done. Now, you know what else can be done?" asked Hau. 

"What?" 

"Why don't me and Manza become the bait while you enter the campsite and investigate for clues we can use in our plan? They know our face so they'll hunt us down but that means, you have more time to check the campsite", said Hau. 

It was hard to admit but that did sound like a good plan. Gladion couldn't help but feel slightly moved by the idea. 

"We can go with that", said Gladion. 

After deciding on the plan, Hau disappeared for a couple of minutes and returned with muds readily mixed. "Usually this would be coloured for a good luck charm but I don't have the colour for it".

"I don't believe I would need anything like that", said Gladion.

"Oh but it helps mask your appearance. Shouldn't we become as unrecognisable as we can?" asked Manza. 

It was the first lesson he learnt in the military academy and Gladion hated to admit how right the two were. 

"Only this time", said Gladion, dipping into the clay mixture. It was sticky on his finger and forget masking, how could he wash it off? Hau looked elated when Gladion accepted the clay. While Gladion didn't know it, accepting a good luck charm from another was a symbol of deepening trust. While this cultural element wasn't known by Gladion, it pleased him that he wasn't rejected. 

Perhaps the trust had deepened without Gladion being aware of it. 

"So how do I put it on?" asked Gladion, after waiting for the explanation about the clay mix. 

"Oh yeah, right…" said Hau, "You just need to pull your finger from your cheek to your jaw. Like this", Hau demonstrated it to Gladion. 

"... Do I do it for both sides?" asked Gladion. 

"Yes". 

Gladion pulled the finger lines down his cheeks. He could smell the earth on his face but it wasn't a bad smell. 

"It's actually good for the skin", said Manza as he drew his own mask . 

"Is this even enough to hide my face?" 

"We usually covered the first half of our face. From hairline to nose. If you're okay with that…" explained Hau. 

"I already did the deed. Might as well do the whole thing", said Gladion. 

"Right. Just put it around your eyes to the nose". 

Gladion smashed a good amount of clay on his face and smudged it on to a thinner layer. "How do I look?" asked Gladion. 

Hau held back his laughter and nodded. "Looks fine to me". He warned Manza with his eyes to react normally. 

"Really?" asked Gladion suspiciously. 

"Really. I swear to Arceus". 

And he felt like kissing the other silly but held back that thought. 

They had a mission. 

Fuck it. He was going to ask. 

"Can I… can I kiss you as a good luck charm?" asked Hau. 

"Why the hell would I let you do that?" asked Gladion, turning around and showing his back to Hau. There was no way in hell he was going to let Hau anywhere near him. 

"Ah, you're right. It's silly of me", said Hau feeling slightly disappointed. 

Nope. Gladion didn't like to hear that tone. It would keep him out of focus and he hated to admit it, he didn't like the idea of screwing up his mission because of some stupid request he didn't let fulfilled. 

Hau was going to put away the clay when Gladion turned around and took a handful of the clay in his hand. He leaned into Hau's space, pressing his lips lightly on Hau's cheek, his muddy hand leaving a handprint on the other cheek. 

"There, your lucky charm. You got the clay and you got the kiss. Don't screw up your assignment". 

"I - I feel ah ha ha, how do I describe it? Arceus!" Hau giddily giggled. 

It made Gladion's heart leap a bit to see Hau this happy at a small gesture like that. 

"Whatever. Let's get on with the task", the blond mumbled, trying to hide his embarrassed face. 

Manza looked at them with a soft smile. 

\-------

Gladion lied low in the bush while Hau and Manza waited for the right moment to create the distraction. When a few soldiers were seen to flock together, leaving an opening at the gate entrance, Hau and Manza went out and began to brawl with the soldiers. It attracted the soldiers at the tower and the two made a dash into the forest as a few soldiers began to call for backup. 

"It's that tribe leader Hau!!! Find a few people to pursue!!" ordered the commander. They were hot on their tail, leaving the gate completely unguarded. 

"What a foolish troop", said Gladion as he slipped into the campsite with ease. 

Gladion carefully moved between the tents before entering the building. While the outside were completely lighted up with fire, the inside of the building was completely enveloped with darkness. It didn't take much effort for him to move about. At times, he would hear footsteps and chattering of patrolling soldiers but he used the darkness to his advantage and stayed far from their sight. 

Gladion tried opening some doors to see if he had any luck entering any of them. As he wrung some lightly, a few of them did open up and he sneaked a look inside. When he found an archive, unlocked at that (just how careless are these people?), he entered it. He began to try to figure out the filing system of the scrolls. 

There were a few methods of filing, as he had learnt in the academy. By alphabetical order? By number system? Or by the topic? 

"Or just fucking mess?" groaned Gladion when he saw the scrolls being stored around anywhere the officers like. This was proven to be an arduous task for him, digging up the archive for something relatable. He found a drawer full of maps in no particular order. Gladion took them out and began to try to read the words in the dark. 

"Viridian border. Might be useful. The capital's drainage map…Right, what is this doing in a military base. For Arceus sake!" 

He found a couple more on the palace backdoor and the family chart of the previous regime."There's a few royal houses in… Oh?"

He saw Hau's name written underneath King Hala' s family line. "He's really from the royalty".

Gladion chose to take the family tree scroll and the drainage system nobody was going to miss. He wanted to take the palace map but decided against it before his hand was full. He shut the door carefully after making sure there was no one around. Sneaking around the building, he tried to search for an unguarded exit . That was when he saw Hau and Manza being dragged around, chained around their ankle by some of the soldiers. 

Gladion followed them, hiding behind the tent Hau was prodded to go into. Manza saw Gladion and the blond made a signal to ask him to look elsewhere. It wouldn't do anyone good if he was caught as well. 

Gladion went to the other side of the tent and was glad to find a barrel stack. He snooped behind it out of sight, lowering himself to the ground and kept his ears open. 

"I cannot believe, the man we have been hunting for a long time, is finally in our clutch!" he heard a voice, could be a commander. 

"Let my friend go". 

"Now why would I do that? We can train them to become our soldier. What's important is our majesty is going to have a good day knowing that we finally can put the flame of your existence away?" 

"I did nothing wrong to your king but you have done a lot to my people". 

"This is why we hate your whole family. Goody to shoes. No one likes them". 

"My family?" 

"You don't know, do you? Why don't I explain to you while you can still live". 

"..."

"Your father was a crown prince and your grandfather was a king in Ecruteak. Most of the ministers hate them because they are too just. Everyone lived happily and nobody can really earn wealth and everybody is happy". 

"Isn't that what a king should do?" 

"No, no. Even if you're a king, you should understand the social standing of the people above others. We are different. We have all the power that we need to exercise on the people. We have wealth to take on the ground. We let pests be pests . Nobody cares about them and they shouldn't be taking gold from us. They don't need them".

"You're sick in the head". 

"Say what you want but people change when they earn a status above others. If you have owned all the power and wealth, you won't be saying that. King Morty's grandfather corrected the injustice that had been done on us. This is how it should be. We, the better ones should emerge glorified in the society of scums". 

Society of scums? Gladion disagreed wholeheartedly with his view. Regardless of their wealth and power status, there were kind people who were sent out into poverty because the rich thirst to grow their treasuries. Gladion was not the kindest person but even for him, treating the poor as garbage was an impersonation of ego that was stained by a corrupted mind and personality. 

He looked around and saw a number of Rapidash being bound to the posts not too far from the tent. He snuck up to them, loosen their ties and returned to the barrel. He bent his knees like pilates and knocked the barrel over, scaring the Rapidash. The Rapidash fire caught on the other tents and the places began to enter a chaotic state. 

Gladion used the chance to take down the soldier guarding Manza. They took the key for the chain and unlocked the chain around his ankle. Then, he entered the tent with Manza, shoving the commander to the ground harshly. Gladion pinned the sick human on the ground, bashing his skull with his fist. When his lips tore, a sense of satisfaction took over him. He would like to rip the ego out from this man beneath him. 

"You don't fucking say scumbags to others who did nothing to you! You fuckers have loose nail in your fucking head!" he caved in to his anger and delivered another punch that was breaking his jaw. His fist hurt but he ignored it. He managed to chip the teeth and boy, didn't it feel good to see the ugly mug being broken? 

He was about to bash his face for good with another blow when Hau hoisted him away from the commander by his arms. At that moment, it was the only voice of reason he could hear. "Let's leave. We don't have much time", said Hau. 

"I need to give him a fucking realization that he is the shittiest human being on Earth!" Gladion replied but he just stood in the hold, trying to cool down his anger. 

"We'll get there, alright. Right now, we need to leave". 

Gladion took a deep breath to clear his head. He visualized victory in his head, the day he would teach the dumb bastard how to repect human. 

"Don't think this ends here", he warned and spat next to the injured man. He followed Manza and Hau out from the campsite. He picked up the scrolls that had been left by the entryway and pocketed them with a new goal in mind. 

He was determined to help correct what was wrong. 

\----------

Dragonite flew behind noivern through the limitless sky. They could only hear the sound of the wind drafting from the flight and the chill crawled onto Hau. All the while they were flying, his eyes never left Gladion. He had his back straightened up but he could see from where he was how the blond was muttering under his breath. 

Gladion showed him the map that he found before they flew away from the campsite. Amidst the chaos, nobody had seen them leaving and they were not pursued. They had found something that can be used in the planning. It was a great outcome. 

Yet, the best one he had seen was how the blond reacted towards the heinous remarks of the commander. Hau never expected Gladion to react so strongly towards it. The one who was verbally abused was him but Gladion had taken it in his own hand to be angry for him. 

How did he feel about it? Appreciated? No, they barely knew each other. It wasn't appreciation. It was awe inspiring. He felt that Gladion was like a hero to him. 

When he was their saviour, he never understood the reassurance he brought to the people but when he was the one being saved, he finally caught the meaning behind those words of gratitude he received from others. It was like a piece of his life had been restored, thanks to Gladion. 

He had to show it. This feeling of gratitude. 

"Hey, Gladion. Thanks for standing up for me", said Hau. 

"Huh? It's not that big of a deal. " 

"But you're still annoyed by them. I'd like to thank you for that", said Hau. 

"... You're welcome…" Gladion muttered almost too quietly. 

"Next time, I will be the one standing up for you to return this favour", said Hau. 

"It's nothing but thanks for the thought", said Gladion, huffing softly. A part of him was rejoiced by it but Gladion immediately shoved it away. He wasn't going to be invested. Not when he had responded negatively too many times to count. 

Manza flew next to Hau. He had seen the chemistry between them improving and it might not be too bad for Hau to properly court Gladion. The blond had warmed up quite a couple of degrees to Hau and it would be a good opportunity for them. 

"Why don't you court him? I can see that you both had begun to warm up to each other", said Manza. 

"It's too early", said Hau. 

"You can start with small steps", said Manza, suggesting that it could start with something simple. 

"... Aren't you an expert in love?" Hau said, sarcasm dripping in his voice. 

"Haha, I had a lot of partners over the years and I know you've got him already. Just need a little push". 

"Player", Hau scoffed before turning it into a grin. He could try with Manza's suggestion. If he was lucky, it might bloom to something more. 


	32. South Camp

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized that it has been a month 🤭

The South camp was situated nearby a river and it was also the closest camp to the Vermillion border. With Vermillion and Azalea diverted from political alliance with Ecruteak, most of the elite resources were also allocated on this part of the campsite. 

Marnie, Acerola and Lillie learnt of this fact when they were sitting in a tavern to have dinner. The tavern was popular with the soldiers around the area and a lot of them swarmed it during their day off or after a shift change. 

The area was also a popular location for brothel goers. If there was a good spot to find information, it would be here where every exchange could be done in private outside of law. The prostitutes in the district were often listening to the people's stories, be it confidential or just general news. More than often secrets had been spilled as the drunk soldiers who had no control over their chattering let out information that wasn't meant for public ears. 

Marnie, Lillie and Acerola spent the next two days exploring the area. They tried to stay aloof from each other during a scout to prevent anyone from connecting the dots. They learnt a few names: Commander Theo, Commander Garland and Commander Chiffon. These were all the elite fighters that had control over the campsite. 

Throughout the scouting days, Acerola noticed the obvious friction between Marnie and Lillie but given their assignment, they only spoke their mind when it was necessary. Outside of the task, the two barely speak at all to each other, staying clear from each other while going about the mission. 

There was nothing Acerola could do to fix the rift between them. As long as it didn't interfere with the mission, they weren't required to get along. In the first place, all of them hardly knew each other. They sat down together to devise a plan to gain information from the soldiers. If there were really elites in the camp, it could be risky for them to actually go there directly. 

"What do you think we should do to gain information about the campsite?" asked Acerola, prompting a question to initiate the discussion. 

"For a start, I thought of posing as a prostitute in a brothel and try to gain information from there", said Lillie.

"It could be tricky and it could lead to an unwanted situation", said Acerola. "Also, we would have to join a brothel and might not be able to leave it easily", said Acerola. 

It would usually be the slaves that would be forced to join the prostitution pool. They should consider a safer service but one that could still give them the information they needed. 

"There is a tea house with rooms for private usage. Two of us can ask for the tea server position while the other keeps herself hidden and listens in to their conversation", said Marnie. She passed by the tea house and had seen a few well known generals leaving the establishment. It was the fanciest place in the district and hard to miss.

The building had its own garden, isolating it from the brothel that littered the district. Despite being just a teahouse, it was a common place for the wealthier soldier to socialize within it. 

"The idea is not too bad", said Acerola, "I think the best one to do the spying is Lillie. We will be relying on your spying techniques. I think you should stay hidden while me and Marnie posed as the tea servers", said Acerola. 

"I can work with that",said Lillie, accepting the task given to her. "But what if they have enough people?" 

"Then we create the opening", said Acerola. 

On the next day, Marnie and Acerola tried to apply from the recruiter of the tea house but were turned down since they had enough tea servers at the moment. They had at least expected this much and she had another plan for this occasion . She then waited for some tea servers to return from their work and followed them to their house. 

She placed a sleeping curse around the house that would undo itself after a day and a half. On the next day, they tried again to apply for the positions and were hired to replace the employee that didn't make it that day. Taking the opportunity, the two worked to impress the owner and by the end of the day, he had asked them to come again on the next day despite having enough workers. 

Two days later, Marnie was looking at the reservation list and realized that one of the guests that would visit on the next day was an elite general of Ecruteak. When they were back in their temporary residence, Marnie let them know and the three further discussed the spying plan. 

"I can come early and hide in the ceiling. Do we know the room they were going to be assigned to?" asked Lillie. 

"It's the most expensive suite in the teahouse. I can sneak you in earlier", said Acerola. "Marnie will come at usual time so that no one will be suspicious. Do we all agree to this place" . 

"Yes", said the two. 

"Then, prepare yourself to carry out your mission. We'll be back with information in our hands". 

\-----------

Before the sun rose, Lillie and Acerola were already at the teahouse. Acerola used the curse needle to unlock the door and with caution, they went to the suite area. There was a loose ceiling and Lillie used Acerola as a support to climb into it. She had had a lot of training to pull herself into the gap although her shoulders were straining a little. 

Lillie reattached the loose piece. The ceiling cover was porous enough for her to listen in and she didn't need to leave a gap. The room was empty the whole afternoon and she spent her time snoozing. When she heard a number of girls entering the suite and preparing for the arrival of the guests, she began to pay attention to the sound below. 

"Did you hear? The guest today is Commander Theo and they said he is quite a good looking man". 

"I put on brighter colours today. You should too". 

"Well, I tried to look as neat as I can but in the end, only Acerola and Marnie are going to serve the commander's group". 

"They're new but they get the job done well. Especially Acerola. She is so graceful when she serves the tea". 

"I admire her". 

"Yeah, me too".

Lillie was slightly pumped up by the compliments that her team was receiving. She won't let this chance go to waste! An earnest job was necessary. She pressed her ears to the ceiling piece, lying in wait for the guest that would come into the suite. 

Thanks to the cold weather, it wasn't as hot to stay inside the stuffy space. She heard a muffled welcome and the sound of the chairs being pulled for the guests. 

"Please have a look at our menu, dear guest",she heard Acerola said, "We will attend to your order shortly. In the meantime, please enjoy the small delicacy we have prepared for you". 

"Thank you", she heard the man replied. Lillie swore she had heard the sound of two chairs being pulled and he wasn't the only one in the suite. When Acerola left the suite, the two men began to talk. 

"I am Marcus, a Viridian officer sent to gather intel in Vermillion. I believe this meeting is for me to give you the information you required, Commander Theo". 

"As expected from an intel soldier. You knew my name even before we met".

"As an intelligence spy, it would be a failure of mine to come unprepared".

"Viridian's soldiers are quite reliable". 

"We have our way with things", said Marcus. 

A Viridian soldier in cohort with Ecruteak? It seemed like their effort to infiltrate Vermillion had been going for quite a while. She wondered how much Marcus had learnt about the kingdom. 

"Pray tell, Marcus. What have you learnt while in Vermillion?" 

"For a start, in the months that I am in, the kingdom seemed to switch the king and the interim king quite often. I've heard from my subordinate that it has been switched again". 

"Oh? Has the king left for a business?" 

"Perhaps he had but a subordinate spying on the border had told me that they saw the king making his way to Ecruteak. Have you arranged any diplomatic visitation recently?" 

"Not that I am aware of. Plus, if King Morty had invited him into the palace, we would have heard about him being captured. He is quite obsessed with getting his hand on those magic prowess. So I heard". 

"I see. He wanted the magic to merge with his bloodline?" 

"Ah yes. Something along the line. I couldn't count the number of times we had a meeting and His Majesty stressing about it. We had men sent to Yadon for the capture but they had not returned. We believe they are done for good". 

"All the way in Yadon?" 

"We received reports that the King of Vermillion had been suspected to hide in Yadon Palace. Their alliance was forged when he was there and with Yadon military backup, it is hard for us to make any unnecessary move". 

"That's how… Ah, forgive me but I must know, have you expected that the King of Vermillion to return with twins?" 

"Twins? Direct heir?" 

"You have not heard of this? Have they not sent the announcement about the next in line? They had an introductory party not too long ago". 

"We are not aware of this. Have they been done in secret?" 

"Perhaps. Viridian were awaiting for one of them and if what you said is true, an abnormality had occurred ". 

"What do you mean…"

"We have confirmed that the princess of Vermillion possessed an astounding power that could only be inherited if a magic bearer and an aura bearer consummate".

"Aura bearer?" 

"Yes, they scattered on earth but only one bloodline is the direct line from the first bearer. And that would be the Emperor of Yadon". 

"... What an unnatural occurrence!" 

"Are your thoughts inline with mine?" 

"Very much. Magic might have made the birth of the princess possible. If what you said is true, just taking her would have given us a greater power". 

"She is a useful weapon". 

"I see. This thing, I must communicate it with the royals". 

"Not so fast. This matter has been known by Viridian and we are staking the claim. You just want the magic right? I am just implying a possibility for the king himself to conceive and you could use that to take the prowess into King Morty's own lineage". 

"I see… Viridian is always one step ahead of us but you are right. We need more power. The more the better". 

"The greed in your voice is exhilarating. You should consider sending out a search party to find the King of Vermillion while he is still in your territory. Not only that, take his crown prince. He has the Yadon Empire to inherit".

"An empire? King Morty would love to hear that". 

Acerola came into the suite not too long after that. Lillie, who had been listening to the conversation clasped her mouth with her hand. She had known about the pregnancy of the king, since the conversation she had heard in the dessert shop but she never thought it was real. 

_ Then the children in Vermillion are really the heir to the Yadon Empire! They are really targeting the princess to obtain her power. Was that Viridian's true objective? _

Lillie had learnt so much that she didn't know where to begin. Throughout the entire conversation later on, Marcus had described a detailed layouting of Vermillion that it was almost as if she was looking at a map. Marcus described a canal that was weakly guarded between Vermillion and Ecruteak. The canal was connected to a hamlet and because in Ecruteak's side, this piece of land was abandoned, not many people knew about it. Commander Theo was particularly keen about this information. 

She held her breath the whole time they were there. She remained stiff, in fear of being discovered by the two. All that time was spent with her thinking,  _ This won't turn out good if they get what they are after.  _

\---------

When the guests left, Acerola could finally calm down, all the tension was gone from her body. Meanwhile, Marnie had gone to clean up the suite as well as helping Lillie to escape the teahouse. She made sure to distract the other employees until the twin tail girl returned to the front desk. 

Acerola pulled Marnie aside, quietly asking, "has she left?" 

"Yes. She used the window to leave the teahouse". 

"Good grief. Anyway, I think our job is done here". 

"So how do we quit this job?" asked Marnie. She liked working there m, the ambience is relaxing but all these temporary things, she had to leave them behind. For a change that could bring justice to the whole kingdom. 

"Well, we can talk to the recruiter…" 

"Or we can just leave", said Marnie. She wouldn't want to upset anyone with goodbyes. She made some new friends there and had fun with them. 

"We can do that", agreed Acerola. 

The closing time came too fast and they departed from the teahouse to their temporary residence. Lillie was sitting at the edge of the bed and when they walked in, she immediately grabbed Acerola's shoulders. 

"I want to confess", she said, "I know for a fact that Princess Gou is actually King Goh". 

Acerola, who was taken aback by her words, stiffened. "How do you know this?" 

"Two years ago, back in Yadon, I was following Sota… no, Princess Chloe to the shop that you were meeting up in. I overheard your conversation. At that time, you were talking about how the king was in a dire health state due to pregnancy. I did not think at that time that it was real until now". 

"You were following Princess Chloe?" 

"Y-Yes. I met with the lady called Chrysa at General Kukui's house. She was going to meet you and Chrysa".

"A king who got pregnant? You mean Goh did?" asked Marnie who was listening to their conversation. Acerola rubbed her forehead. She never meant for anyone to find out but Lillie was a smart girl. Once she connects the dots, she will find out the truth. She was also blabbering when Marnie was with them. Her tone sounded urgent. 

"I guess we should come clean inside this room. Sit", sighed Acerola. The two calmed down and sat on the floor. 

"My name is Acerola and I am a magic knight, Royal guard to King Goh. Over a year ago, the king wanted to forge an alliance with Yadon but was caught in an ambush that led him to being stuck in Yadon as a princess. He had twins from all these events and before the term ended , the king and his subordinates escaped Yadon to return to Vermillion. It was for his own good. The pregnancy had too many complications that we had to monitor his health". 

"Then, it is true that the whole Vermillion's ruling family is in danger. Inside a room there was a man called Marcus. He is a Viridian officer. He mentioned that the princess has overwhelming power and Viridian wants those powers to turn her into a weapon. That commander was planning to report to the royals about taking the crown prince in order to hold ransom on Yadon Empire and the king. They want to do bad things to him". 

"That's fucked up", said Marnie. 

"And… Marcus also talked about a canal that wasn't well guarded and they knew now that King Goh is in Ecruteak. There were a few Viridian spies in Vermillion. I'm not sure how long they have been watching". 

"Spies in our cavalry?" Acerola gasped. 

"I don't know. There's so much things going on", said Lillie, grabbing her head. Acerola patted her back. 

"It's fine Lillie. We just need to get back as soon as we can so that we can inform everybody of this", said Acerola. 

Lillie nodded. Marnie who had been listening tensed at the complexity of the situation. This war would need a lot of careful planning if they wanted to win this. 

"We should move first thing tomorrow", said Marnie. 

The other two agreed. They needed to be back as fast as they could.


	33. Leaving

Hop looked down at the crate in his hand where inside it was Hodge's remaining properties that survived the incident. When they came to Hodge's house, most of the parts had been licked clean by the fire. They found a few clothes that had been missed by the blaze and picked up what could be brought to their temporary settlement. Ikuo had offered to house them until the house construction was completed. If it went by the planning, it would only be completed by summer the year after. 

"Basically, we'll be roommates", said Hodge, carrying another crate with some kitchenware to be brought to the castle. 

"I'm only helping because I have wronged you", said Hop. He did feel bad about burning down the house. 

"I'm not going to lie. I was upset but on the other hand, I understand where you're coming from", said Hodge. 

"I cannot excuse my action. I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused". 

Once they arrived in the room they were given, Hop put down the crate, stretching his arms that was still having the anti magic gauntlet on them. It was pretty heavy but he could still do his daily routine with them. He was helping Hodge to unpack the crate when Lord Cinderace walked inside, holding the twins in its arms. 

"Cind, cinder".(Princess Chloe is departing soon. Let's gather in the courtyard with the rest) 

It was a pity. Hodge enjoyed her company very much and now that she was leaving for Indigo Plateau, the campsite would be more dull. 

"I'll join it. Won't you come with us, Hop?" asked Hodge. 

"But I don't belong there". Hop was infested with the guilt from the incident. When they were walking from the capital, he had seen the damage of the buildings. Some people were reported to have been caught in the fire and passed away. Some businesses were wearing crutches to survive the loss. 

There weren't enough room for forgiveness with the scale of the terrorism he had caused. 

"What are you talking about?" asked Hodge, quirking an eyebrow at him. When he saw Hop's hesitation, it didn't take much for him to understand his point. 

"Aha, you feel bad", said Hodge. 

"How can you tell?" asked Hop. Little did he know it was his face that had given it all away. 

"Too obvious", Hodge laughed. He beckoned for the princess and took her carefully. Hop hissed slightly when Aria was shown in his face. 

"This is your assignment, remember? Take her", said Hodge, trying not to use punishment as the word. Aria clapped and cheered, wanting to be picked up by Hop. The wyvern made a disgusted face but slowly resigned to his fate. 

"Kyaaa~" she said, her feet wiggling in the air. Her pure blue eyes glimmered with innocence and Hop clicked his tongue as he gave in to the look. 

"I don't have a choice", he reminded himself. 

"Right. Let's put that aside first. Lead the way, Lord Cinderace", Hodge said, waving at him.

"Cind". (Don't order me around)

Aria settled quietly in Hop's hold, cooing when something caught her eyes. She chuckled when a flabebe flew by in groups, holding a flower with different colour petals. Mew was right to say that the princess was different from the witch he had faced in the past. Here, she had a chance to grow into a better person. 

Yet, children could grow into a person they never thought could become. The possibility was there. 

"Proper upbringing, huh?" he muttered lowly. Aria looked at him curiously and cooed gently. 

He wondered if he could make her become a good witch instead of an evil one. Aria was a good nature youngling, one with a kind heart. It wasn't like he hadn't watched her from time to time to understand her nature. It was just that he found it hard to accept the fact that a witch can also be good with the image of the past still refusing to leave his side. 

He dispersed the thought as soon as they arrived at the courtyard. With so many people gathering, he tried to put a monotonous facade, his gaze steeled at everyone around him. 

He looked down, caught off guard by a slight squeeze on his thumb. Aria cooed, mumbling nonsense to sooth him. 

A fleeting thought came worming its way in.  _ What a dear this child is.  _

\--------------

Days spent packing up her belongings had come to an end. Before Chloe knew it, it was time for a princess to take her leave. King Cerise made an offer to teach his swords style to her. The urge to improve her mastery was what made her agree to return to Indigo Plateau.

That also meant that she won't be seeing the rest of them anytime soon. Taking off without a proper goodbye would only make her sad. Her footsteps were already as heavy as it is, what would it be without seeing everyone before leaving? 

A heavy heart was the only thing that would load her chest when returning to Indigo Plateau. 

Pity. She wouldn't be able to say goodbye to Goh. 

"I'm going to miss all of you", said Chloe, wiping a lone tear. The only time she had ever left Vermillion was for the diplomatic exchange. Since it was with a purpose, she had hardened her resolve not to step a foot back here .

The only difference now was the fact that she was going away with a different purpose that could keep her away for years. 

"We're going to miss you, darling", said Kurune, embracing her as she sighed sadly. 

"Me too", Chloe whispered. 

She held Levi in her arm, thinking that this must have been how Goh felt when he had to leave them behind. "I'm going to miss a lot of your growth", she said, pecking his cheek before giving him back to Kurune. She also held Aria for a while, caressing her hair before giving her back to Hop. 

"Take good care of her", said Chloe, "I know you dislike her but Aria is a kind child. Please understand that". 

"You don't have to repeat it so many times. I'll take care of her", Hop murmured, avoiding her calculating look. Chloe smiled at his words - the wyvern looked rather comfortable with the way he was holding Aria. If she had doubts before, it had lessened and she believed that someday, when Aria was in trouble, Hop could be the first running to protect her. 

"A wyvern never lies, right?" said Chloe, "Then I will put my trust in you". 

"Myuyuyu". 

"I'll miss you", she said, patting her head. "Well, off I go then". 

Chloe climbed on the back of the Rapidash, taking the leash and guided it out of the castle's bound. Her father and Parker were both waiting for her at the gate. 

"To Indigo Plateau", she said, clutching a grip on Raihan by her side. 

\------

Back in Ecruteak, Goh, Ash and Ren had just left the mansion that belonged to Henry. All of them were back to normal, riding towards the Forest of the Spirit with a new promise of alliance. They gathered a look of information from the man, all of which scripted on the scroll in his sack. 

"Our luck is tremendously good, His Majesty", said Goh. 

"It was unexpected but we have got ourselves a good ally to change the course of war to favour us", said Goh, tapping at the sack. 

"Not so fast. There's still a lot of work to do", said Ash smugly. Pikachu cheered on his shoulder. 

"Definitely. Must not waste our effort", said Goh, agreeing to Ash. The prolonged fever that had put Ash under the weather had passed. Goh could breathe easy with the development, knowing that the worse had gone. 

"I hope everyone is doing alright", said Ash, thinking about the other groups that had gone to the other campsites. They wondered what the others had learnt on their mission. Every fragment of information counts to secure their victory. With Viridian backing up Ecruteak, things would not be easy for them. 

"I'm sure they will", Goh reassured Ash. 

"... I think we should go off road. There's a few soldiers heading this way", said Ren suddenly. 

"No, that would sell us off. They would chase after us instantly if we run", said Ash. 

"Then what do you think we should do?" asked Goh, trying not to panic. Ash asked him to ride closer until their knees were touching. When the soldiers saw them, he grabbed the back of Goh's head and negan to make out with him. A few of the soldiers who were fairly disgusted by the act turned away, some were amused but flinched when they saw Ash glaring at them. 

"Low life who could not afford to find women", he heard them saying and after they were gone, he let go of Goh. 

"That was rude", came Ren's snide remark. 

"You should give me a warning!" Goh scolded Ash, his lips quivering from the kiss. 

"You were embarrassed of that?" asked Ash. 

"Not in front of others!" 

"You should not be embarrassed, His Majesty. I saw you two grabbing each other in the hot spring before. Hau was watching as well. Compared to that , this is minor", said Ren. 

"You what?" Goh's voice turned slightly higher at Ren's confession, agitated by it. 

"Well, you forgot I was there and began to do those things", said Ren, explaining himself. 

"No… wipe those memories off!" 

"... We can't waste our resources for miniscule matters like this, His Majesty", reminded Ren. 

Goh glared at him but huffed in defeat. There were times when Ren made such a good point that he found it hard to argue it and would have to accept it as it is. Ash didn't seem to mind that they were caught in such situations. In fact, he looked rather satisfied. 

_ Could it be…  _ "Ash, did you purposely show these to others, knowing that they would be watching?" asked Goh. 

Ash evaded his eyes but couldn't hide his smirk. He'd let Goh figure it out on his own. Not everything required explanation. 

"Never mind", Goh huffed but there won't be a next time. He would make sure everything they did was done privately. 

His husband disagreed, reaching out to his hand and holding it tightly. 


	34. A witch is coming to town

A wyvern was a being that usually analogized strength and freedom. A male wyvern leader was especially violent and protective of its pack. Guarding a hatchling and youngling was the job of a female wyvern. A more natural course of the ecosystem to be precise. There were a few exceptions, like Leon, a leader of the pack who raised his own brother but Hop wasn't as remarkable as him. 

He, in another word, was struggling. 

"How do I even tie this cloth properly?" he had tried to change the dirty cloth, soiled with baby's excretion that stunk his nose to seven hell and had cleaned her bottom but after that, he was lost in the direction he should take. He tried again but it came loose when Aria was once again squirming on the bed. 

"Why you, settle down! Come on, little one", he said. He winced when the baby soil the cloth once again with pee. 

"Seems like I will have to clean you up again", he discarded the soiled cloth and carried her to where the tub was. After putting a lot of effort to clean her up, he brought her back to the room and tried again, wracking his brain for a good way to tie the nappies. 

It took awhile but he finally got it wrapped cosily around Aria's waist. 

"I got it! Yes, this is the meaning of victory!" he pumped up his hands in the air. Human child was a fascinating being. They required all these care when a hatchling would often be seen moving about with just a piece of cloth covering them. 

"Myuyuyu", Aria squeezed the blanket in her small fists. She pushed herself to a crawling position and struggled to get down from the bed. Hop let her be and was on his back, thinking what should he do now. 

He was here, on the surface to find his brother. It was a simple aim but the escape had put him in such a bad state that whirlwind him to being sentenced to watch over a witch. One that everyone believed would become different than the past witch. 

This, of course, was his life sidetracking from a straight path. "What am I going to do?" 

"Hop, I'm leaving for Azalea", Hodge said from the door.

"Right, have a safe trip", he said. 

"And don't do anything funny". 

"Alright". 

"Keep the princess out of harm". 

"Yes, yes. Anything else?" 

"Unless you want souvenirs, I'm heading off now". 

"I don't even know what that is". 

"It's a show of human kindness", said Hodge. Hop nodded, noting the difference in their way of living. When there was nothing else said between them, Hodge left for his assignment. 

The wet nurse deposited Levi not too long after that. She was about to take Aria when Hop stopped her and rubbed his palm, one that marked a scent on Aria's arm. He needed to be able to smell the scent to know how far away the baby was from him. 

The wet nurse picked the baby up after she was allowed to. She was slightly concerned that the princess was being taken care of by a wyvern but kept the thought to herself. 

"What a wary woman", huffed Hop and returned back to the bed. Levi was playing with Mew - the mythical pokemon had decided to visit his room frequently to play with the babies. Hop had an inkling that he too was guarding the baby real closely. 

With Mew there, he decided to take a nap. Yet, before he could do that, he heard a panic cry in the hallway. 

"Aria! Aria!" 

Hop sat up and left the room. The wet nurse was looking around high and low, searching for the princess. 

When she saw Hop, she said, "Princess Aria is gone". 

\------

_ A witch is coming to town,  _

_ A witch is coming to town,  _

_ A witch and her liegemen,  _

_ Into the town, they went,  _

_ Showering the world with pain,  _

_ Destruction and depression,  _

_ Flows across the land! _

_ When the witch is coming to town.  _

It was a rhyme known throughout the Viridian Kingdom, sang to children, sang in the public spaces by the bards, sang everywhere until not one, not two but everyone in the kingdom knew of the rhyme. The foreigner who listened knew not of the story that only a true Viridian would be able to recite from the bottom of their heart. 

Once Tania saw the witch, she knew that the foretold dark ages would be coming again. The witch would rise in power and so would Viridian. 

"Oh~" she was delighted to see the princess - the witch- being left alone by the wet nurse who had gone to fetch the bib from another room. Tania made herself known in the presence of the witch. The witch was still a youngling but she was the promised ruler and so, helping herself, she picked her up and went to the corridor, singing the rhyme to her like her mother did when she was younger. 

_ A witch is coming to town,  _

_ A witch is coming to town,  _

_ A witch and her liegemen,  _

_ Into the town, they went,  _

_ Showering the world with pain,  _

_ Destruction and depression,  _

_ Flows across the land! _

_ When the witch is coming to town. _

The witch clapped at the rhythm. Of course, it was her story and it was only fitting that the witch, despite her youngling form, was joyous to her glorious past. 

"Don't you want to get back to those days?" asked Tania, cooing at the baby in her arms. 

"Kyaa~" the baby squealed when she wiggled her nose, tickled by the fluttering feeling. 

The story of the witch wasn't just recorded as a rhyme. There were various mediums that her glorious days were told to the children. One of the stories was how she strapped the power from the ruling class, trample on their life and turned them into obedient hounds to serve her throughout a lifetime. It was the beginning chapter on how their kingdom found its torch. 

"Once, there was a witch who saved the poor from the greedy, evil monarchy", she said, "and she turned them into dogs who would lick her feet everyday". 

And she would annihilate creatures that disobeyed her. They deserved not an ounce of grace and so the earth swallowed them whole. All she asked for them was to obey the rule where there wasn't going to be a social divide, where there would only be a fair and just system. 

Where everything would be judged by her wisdom. Her wisdom had no end and even then, a lot of the people disagreed. 

"And you removed them, to pieces, to ashes and to dust", she told the young witch her greatness, "and here you are again, to bring justice throughout the world". 

"Aria!" 

Tania cursed the interruption but faked a smile on her face. The man, Hop, who had been assigned to guard the young witch was certainly a hindrance. "Our meeting is short but to me, you are the greatest". 

She turned around to greet the man. "Were you looking for the princess?" she asked timidly. 

"Yes, have you seen her… oh", Hop saw the princess in her arm and his posture relaxed. "Was she with you the whole time?" 

"Yes. She was wandering the corridor and so I picked her up". When she let go of the princess, she felt a slight longing, like a mother giving away her child. 

"Thank you for looking out for Aria", said Hop. 

"It's a pleasure to be of service to the royal family", said Tania. She watched him gone before continuing to do the chores assigned to her. 

When Tania left, Hop dropped the kind farce he was putting up. When he had gone to check the nursing room, he had caught a whiff of her scent with the scent he left on the princess earlier. Wandering didn't seem to be a likely story. 

"I should be wary of her. To tell such lies, she must have had something else in mind". 

For now, Aria was still safe but Hop would be making sure to keep his words to Chloe. 

A wyvern never lies and that was how it was going to be. 

\------

Sailing across the ocean had been a wrench but the troops could finally see Azalea's port. The weather was better than yesterday, the rocking sea sent the ship tumbling through the storm but it was soon coming to an end with the beautiful sight of the capital. 

Some soldiers were cheering, toasting their bag of water as they could finally come down from the ship. A few of the men were dancing to tunes they made with just whistling and clapping, joyous to the occasion .

Bea watched them from the sideline and sighed. "We are not here to play. Find your group and ready to board off the fleet!" shouted Bea, sending the men on an errand to regroup everyone.

"Strict as always", said Bugsy, chuckling at how a mere order from Bea would instill fear in the heart of men. Regardless, she was quite a popular woman among the cavalry and there were still some who were pining for her. Bugsy had heard all of their conversation and knew what kind of things had been said behind her back. 

"Huh, shouldn't you be going too with them?" asked Bea. 

"I prefer to stand here accompanying you. Taking in the fresh air is better". The wind was good today too, Bugsy noted. Not too strong and just gently touching their skin. 

"Hah… Bug off". 

"No, the name is Bugsy". 

"I wasn't making a joke". 

"Could've fooled me". 

A few hours passed and the anchor was finally dropped from above. By the time they were nearing the port, the men had organized themselves in groups. They walked down the bridge in pairs, keeping a good distance between them. At the port, High Officer General Brock was waiting for their arrival, accompanied by Vermillion's High General. 

"You made it", said Brock. 

"Tell me the situation, General Brock", said Bea. She didn't waste her breath and was quick to get into her work mode. 

"Now, now, we should get moving to Vermillion first. Here is not a good place to talk", said Bugsy. 

"High Officer General Bugsy is right", said Brock, "also, we will only learn about the new information once we return to Vermillion. There will be another conference with the emperor". 

"I see. Quite pathetic you lots", Bea huffed. They were too slow. 

"..." Brock was a little taken aback by the insult but Bugsy got in between to reflect the antsy mood away. 

"She might be a little snarky but she is a good person. Let's focus on our task", he said to Brock, calming him down. 

"I understand", said Brock, "then we shall make a move to Vermillion. Before that, let me introduce the High General to you". 

He called upon Hodge who was observing the whole argument. It seemed that not everybody would get along with each other in Yadon's cavalry but that was to be expected. Hodge walked towards them, waving his hand. 

"This is High General Hodge. He oversees Vermillion's cavalry unit". 

"It's a pleasure to meet you", said Hodge. 

Bea looked at the man who was twice her size. "You look dependable". 

"Don't I?" Hodge laughed and evaded her attempt of wrestling him to the ground. He had gotten in too many tavern brawls to know the intent of someone who wanted to showcase their strength. "You are one feisty girl, aren't cha?" 

"Hmph. This collaboration will only be temporary", said Bea. 

"Understood", said Hodge, "I'd prefer to work with my buddy here anyway". He clapped Brock's shoulder a few times. 

"Woopsies", Bugsy clasped his mouth to cover his grin. When he saw how Bea was seething, he immediately stood between them to stop a probable fight. "Come now, we should all get along. The other soldiers are waiting for us". 

Entering a silent agreement, they cut the conversation short, refraining themselves from any smart retorts they might have in mind. The four of them moved away from the spot. They needed to get to Vermillion in two days to have the conference. 

"March forward, soldiers!" ordered Bea, her voice ringing through the afternoon sky.


	35. "Op"

It had been a few days since they returned from the information gathering missions. Every group came back with their findings, helping Goh, Hau and Ash to understand the depth of the situation they were in. 

The mission brought a new light of the information that had been lying in the dark for so long that it made them realize that the enemy had been moving into their territory unnoticed. They knew now the cleanup had to be done thoroughly before they could even orchestrate their own battle plan. 

What worried Goh was that his family had become a target to the power hungry monarchs. Ash was too, as he sat in one corner thinking about the problems that had newly occurred . 

"It's a difficult situation for us", said Ash during the discussion between Goh and Hau. 

"What should we do?" asked Hau."We can't risk having someone to backstab us during the execution". 

"You're right, we should find a way to distinguish them from the rest", said Goh. 

"But how can we tell who is involved with Viridian?" asked Ash, "also, none of us have seen the guest except for Acerola". 

"... We can fix that. My uncle, Frederick will let us replay that part of the memory". 

"I know he can show memory, his own but can he show others too?" asked Ash. 

"We need to ask him, of course. I just hope that we can be in contact with him", said Goh. "We can use crystal balls for that purpose". 

"But after we know how he looks, what can we do about it?" asked Hau. 

"We'll figure something out", said Goh. "I think this is best for us, to fish out the people connected to Marcus. Of course we need a methodology but that was what the conference later on was for. To talk about this". 

"What about the other problem, having you and your children be the targets?" asked Hau. 

"You shouldn't be worrying about me. I can handle it my-" 

"No", Ash suddenly interrupted him with a definitive no. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Goh narrowed his eyes at Ash, unexpecting the response from him. 

"I have every right to be worried about you. Even if you think you can, I don't feel the same. Viridian is obviously backing up Ecruteak at the moment but that is not to say they won't change their minds. We are looking at a possibility that they might change their target onto you and the children and it's an old kingdom with a lot of secrets. We don't know what technology they have and neither do we understand the cavalry strength". 

"Then what? You want me to be a sitting duck here?" asked Goh, agitated by Ash's implication. 

"No, that wasn't what I meant".

"Then? I need a clearer explanation, Ash". 

"Look, I just don't want you to face this all alone. I want to make sure all of you are safe from harm. It's my concern and don't you think it's valid?" 

"... I know where you're coming from but this is a war". 

"I know that. Arceus, I know that but we need to make sure there is a proper protection around you and the twins all the time. If anyone of you were to fall in their hand, they would hold us by the neck",said Ash. 

"Ash is right. Goh, I think you should not be going off on your own without Ash or me to accompany you. As for your twins, we should let the Vermillion's side know that they need to keep watch on them all the time", said Hau. 

"If it will make everything go smoothly then I will cooperate", said Goh, resigning to his fate. 

"Thank you", said Ash. It was better that they took an initial precaution then nothing at all. 

"Let's discuss further with the rest tomorrow. I'll talk to Acerola to be in contact with my uncle ", said Goh, collecting his thoughts as he tried to arrange his thoughts together. 

\------------

The wet nurse had just dropped in to leave the twins in Hop's care and with his hand full with both of them, he paid attention to their small baby games and ensured that they were out of harm. Mew was resting on the window sill, its eyes shut as it dozed away into deep sleep. The mid morning flew by with nothing too extraordinary. 

Aria and Levi crawled to him while he was too occupied with the piece of string he had been weaving. A wyvern often passed their time with weaving and they were pretty gifted at it. Hodge had kindly provided the strings and Hop was busy at work to turn it into a bracelet as soon as he got it. 

The twins sat and watched in fascination, their mouths gaping at the string that was becoming something beautiful. When Hop finished a piece, he sat Aria in his lap and tied the string bracelet around her wrist. 

"There. Now you look more adorable", said Hop. 

Aria turned her wrist, cooing as she was pleased with the gift. Whatever it was, it was pretty. 

"Op!" she chinned up to look at him. 

"Hm?" 

"Op!" 

"Right… what's that?" he asked, scrunching his nose trying to figure out the sound. 

Aria laughed and crawled out of his lap to play with Levi. As soon as she began to tackle with Levi, Hodge entered the room, all donned in his formal wear. 

"How's everything?" asked Hodge. The wyvern was faring better than they expected. The babies adored him despite the faces of disgust he made when he was first assigned to this task and after a while, he just stopped resisting and began taking care of them. 

"The same as usual", said Hop, putting away the strings into a basket and hid it underneath his blanket. Soon Hodge began to notice how Hop's space had begun to look like a nest. The blanket was neatly rolled and framed into a circle. The center of it was like a space where he would be sleeping. 

Maybe this was just how a wyvern sleeps, he thought. 

"Sounds pretty boring", Hodge shrugged. "Get yourself ready, you're bringing the little demons to the study. His Majesty wants to meet you". 

"His Majesty Ikuo?" asked Hop. 

"No, the current king is not in Vermillion at the moment. When Visquez was reporting to him yesterday about the situation in Vermillion, he mentioned you and the king was interested to see you". 

"Oh". 

"Also, he wants to see the little demons badly and I told him that I don't have the courage to separate them from your guardianship". 

"Huh, you could've just asked", Hop scoffed. 

Right, so he didn't notice it. It had been only a few days but it had been extremely difficult to take the babies off from Hop. The only person who was allowed to even take them was Kurune and the wet nurse. Even then, they noticed how he would start scenting them at the back of their necks before letting go and the next morning, they would have to return the babies immediately or Hodge would see a cranky wyvern on edge until the babies were given to him. 

It seemed when a wyvern had a promise to keep and had taken someone into his kin, he would act aggressively if he was not able to protect them within range. Hodge debated if he should ask about this. They needed to know what the limit was before someone crossed it and created another havoc that could've been avoided. 

"You know, I want to ask you something", said Hodge. 

"What is it?" asked Hop. 

"How much is too much?" 

"What? What kind of question is that?" 

"No, I mean, if I were to take the twins and you know, put them away from you, will you be angry?" 

"Of course not. They're your kingdom's prince and princess", said Hop. 

Hodge raised an eyebrow. "Really? I'm going to bring them outside for a while then". He went to the twins and picked them up. 

He put them back down when Hop began to rumble with threatening growling. 

"Right, you're obviously not going to let me take them", said Hodge, slowly removing himself from the twins. He watched as Hop's pupil contracted and the growling only stopped when he was a few feet away from them. 

"... Hm… It's a wyvern's instinct", said Hop. 

"That's all?" 

"How else can I explain it to you? Protectiveness is something that is coded into our nature". 

"Now I wonder if their parents are going to be able to even interact with them…" Sorry King Goh and the Emperor. Please settle this problem on your own. 

He watched Hop scenting them with the back of his hand. He wondered why he had to do this every time. 

"Isn't one time enough? You keep doing it every time they are leaving the room", said Hodge. 

"... The scent is too weak. If I want a permanent scent, I would have turned into a wyvern and literally covered them with bile from my throat". 

"I don't really want to see that", said Hodge, deciding that babies in wyvern vomit would be a horrendous scene to watch. He was sure their parents would be unhappy too. "Right, why don't we get moving now?" 

Hop held them in his arms and followed Hodge. 

\------------

Hau, Ash, Acerola, Ren and Goh were the only people inside the cave. As they waited for everyone to gather inside the king's study in Vermillion, the five talked among themselves about things to refine in their strategy. 

In the meeting, there would be new people who would be joining in. Hodge had confirmed that Frederick was back in Vermillion, having just returned from his business in Ecruteak. He was asked to join as well and although it was on a short notice, he was more than happy to accommodate Goh's request. 

It was late in the evening when everyone was finally there. Goh started the meeting with a brief introduction of themselves. Then, he let the Vermillion side to carry on with the introduction. When it was Bea's turn to speak, the emperor seemed to be hot in his seat. 

"I'm High Officer General, assigned to be a temporary royal guard to the emperor". 

Frederick who had just learnt about Ash's real identity was speechless about it. Never had it occurred to him that he had been talking directly to the emperor himself. 

"If you would have let me know earlier , I would've been using the appropriate way to address you, Your Excellency". 

"It's fine. I can deal without it", said Ash. 

Bea disagreed. "Please take him less seriously. We treasure the small details and it is only expected that the emperor should be addressed with the correct title". 

"In this case, I am agreeing with Bea. Politically, the emperor should not be treated like a common individual", said Brock. 

"..." Ash decided not to debate it any further since the matter is too trivial for him. 

"We'll be sure to take that into account", said Goh, sniffing smugly at his carefree husband. In the end, even if he wanted to play it cool, he was still a part of a stick in the mud empire. 

"I'll make exception when I want to", Ash mumbled, disliking the in your face look Goh was giving him. 

"Let's press forward with the matter in hand", said Goh. "I have a few things to cover today with everyone". 

"First and foremost, we have gathered information about the capital and also their goals. From what we have learnt, King Morty and Viridian are targeting the current regime of Vermillion, that being me and the twins. For that reason alone, it seemed they had infiltrated our kingdom , implanting spy networks all around. On this point, me and Emperor Ash believed that we will have to try weeding out these spies. We would like to ask His Royal Highness Frederick if he was capable to assist in this mission". 

"You require my memory magic, I presume?" 

"Yes". 

"Hm… If we have a repeated face, a piece of memory, I can look out for the network that tied them together", said Frederick. 

"Acerola can help you with that. She had seen the person", said Goh. 

"That's a bit tough. How are you planning to cross the border when they are on a lookout for Vermillion? Acerola will be a known personal in your kingdom. Surely someone will be able to connect her to you", Hau raised her concern. 

"That wouldn't be a problem at all. Ren will create a portal to link this forest to Vermillion castle", said Goh. 

"I can work on it right away. I left a portal opening castle in my study", said Ren. 

"You're telling me we could've done it earlier ?" asked Ash. 

"It consumes a lot of magic energy. Ren would be out for a few days after exhausting his magic. I need him to do other things so yes, I didn't ask for a portal immediately". 

"So the only person to cross the portal will be Acerola, correct?" asked Hau. 

"But His Majesty, I cannot leave your side! It is my job as a Magic Knight to ensure your safety", said Acerola. 

"She's right. A king should not be left with an opening", said Ikuo. 

"Then I propose that we exchange roles", Bea voiced out her suggestion. 

"Meaning?" asked Hodge. 

"Miss Acerola will return to Vermillion while I will fill in the role as a royal guard in Ecruteak for both of them. I have been told that the King and the emperor are in a relationship. Though vaguely implied as lovers. If he is precious to the emperor, then I will cover for you". 

Goh watched Ash sweating bullets and yet, he said nothing to oppose it. Luckily most of the people there knew about them, except for his uncle who was surprised by their revelation. 

"Lovers? His Majesty and Your Excellency should have let me know earlier of such happy news!" said Frederick. 

"I would be happy with the exchange", said Acerola, agreeing to Bea's proposal. 

"Let's move on to the next point", said Goh as they had come to an agreement. "I have been in contact with Henry Forte".

"Henry Forte? The most prominent supporter of King Hala's regime?" asked Ikuo. He had been in contact with the man himself a few years back to update him with news about King Hala and Alola region. 

"Yes, Henry Forte has agreed to help us with the best of his ability. He provided us with some information about Ecruteak's cavalry. From what we have learnt the total cavalry unit is around a million, in which they were split to three, positioned as South, North and East. The west camp is not entirely abandoned as this place is mostly used for meetings between Viridian and Ecruteak but once when the season changes, the Ecruteak soldiers will change troops to allow them to return to the kingdom. While Henry is willing to give us support, we need somebody to be a point of contact ", said Goh. 

"I'd like to offer my help", said Chrysa. 

"That would be great", said Goh, "if you could keep a crystal ball with you, it would ease communication between us. Father could provide a reference letter". 

"I will write to Henry Forte for Chrysa to give it to him after this meeting", said Ikuo.

"There's also the fact that Viridian is experimenting with herbs. When we met Henry, his grandchild was going to become a test subject. It seems that this information is not given to Henry, due to his political stance", said Goh. 

"I see… Is this why His Majesty wants to weed out the spies?" asked Hodge. 

"Yes. We can learn more from them. That's why I will leave it in your hand,Hodge ", said Goh. 

"Yes, His Majesty ", said Hodge. 

"For now we can focus on these few key points. We will hold another meeting to plan the attack route and also necessary military preparation. Otherwise, we shall dismiss the meeting for now", said Goh. 

The rest of them left with tasks at hand. Only Hodge waited behind. After the last person left, Hodge called upon the wyvern he had been reporting to Goh the day prior. It interested him because of the mention of the witch. 

Hop came in, carrying in his arms both of Goh's children. When he saw how comfortable they were in Hop's hold, Goh couldn't help but feel a slight pang of jealousy. It was his twins and yet, he wasn't there for them. 

Goh buried the feelings beneath the surface. 

"You must be Hop?" asked Goh. 

"Yes", said Hop. 

"Then I would like to talk to you", said Goh. The wyvern's stature became stiff. "It's regarding the twins". 

Hop prepared himself. Mentally and physically . 


	36. Bridging the Boundaries

"I don't like where this is going but please take care of them". The meeting ended abruptly after they exchanged a few words. During the explanation about the possible danger, Hop could see a slight jealousy tinted in Goh's eyes. He said those words right after hinting the look and the fierceness in it came through in the simple request he was making. 

Hop stance still remained : he didn't particularly like taking care of the twins but as of late, they were around him more than around his grandparents and it wasn't because Kurune and Ikuo was busy with tasks. The twin had taken a liking of the room, that's all there was to it. 

"Maybe I should let them play with their grandmother tomorrow. I feel like there has been a grand misunderstanding somewhere during the talk with King Goh", Hop said to Hodge as they left Kurune's room after putting the sleeping twins in their cribs. 

"What kind of misunderstanding?" asked Hodge. 

"King Goh doesn't seem to like the idea of me taking care of the twins. I saw it in his eyes", said Hop. 

"What do you mean exactly?" 

"It's hard to explain", said Hop. Hodge tucked his hands behind his back while he tried to make sense of Hop's explanation. 

"I still don't understand. I thought he sounded the same as usual". 

"Never mind", Hop sounded exasperated but he wrapped up the talk. His nest was awaiting for him, a resting place where he could let out his tiredness of being a baby caretaker away from his body. Hodge immediately discarded the formal wear and changed into something cosier. 

The next day, at the sound of the first Murkrow, Hop woke up for breakfast and left the room to head to Kurune's chamber. Kurune was still in her nightgown when she answered the door and was about to give the twins to him when Hop declined her. 

"I think you should spend some time with them", said Hop. 

Kurune was used to Hop just addressing her with her name. It was really refreshing to hear another person calling her that instead of her title. Hop might look young but in terms of age, he was a senior and so, she didn't mind it at all. 

"Do you have to do something today?" asked Kurune. 

"Not at all. It's just that… I'd like to keep a distance away from them". 

Kurune looked worried. While most of her time to spend with her grandchildren was taken by Hop, the twins were waiting for him. "Hmmm… I'd love that but they had been waiting for you since the break of dawn. Ever since you have come to take care of them, they've been waking up early when it is time to leave the chamber".

"I shouldn't be taking too much of your bonding time than necessary", said Hop. 

"Hmm… I guess we can for today". 

"Thank you". 

He was going to return to his room when he heard Aria calling. "Op!" 

Hop felt his heart sunk. He shouldn't have the kind of feeling that would stop him from moving forward. He didn't like them and he wanted to stay true to that. Magic, witch especially, they were an entity of disaster. 

"Op!" Aria's voice was a solemn cry. It was a voice that sobered him from his hatred and forced him into a realization at how a child so pure could very well be the kindest , pure hearted witch to walk the earth. 

And maybe released them from their eternal prison. 

His feet just glued themselves to a spot. Kurune saw the reluctance and decided to pick Aria up. 

"She seems to like you a lot. I think it's better if you would just take care of Aria today, I could spend some time with Levi". 

"But I…"

Kurune knew where it came from but not wanting to be invested in something emotionally didn't mean it's always a good thing. While she knew not of the source of his restlessness, she didn't want anyone to be unhappy either. 

She held Hop on his shoulder, saying, "You shouldn't feel guilty about taking my time or being liked more by the twins. Young children can also choose whom to like because they know the good in people". 

Hop clenched and unclenched his fist. He smiled softly, "I can't be that kind". 

"Who's to judge you? When a tragedy occurred , it doesn't always mean it is a diabolical plan. It doesn't mean that you can't be a good person".

She gave Aria to him and Hop thanked her. He wondered if he should let Aria into his life. 

He wondered how much he would change. 

He wondered if it could last long. 

But when he looked down, the shine in her face gave him a good reason to believe that it was a smile he should protect. 

\------

That evening, Kurune was searching for Levi. She was even asking Hop where he was, thinking that Levi had gone to find Aria. Hop whiffed the air to catch the scent he left the day before but it was too weak for him to trace. While carrying Aria, they went around the castle asking if any of the servants had seen the baby. 

None of them had given them an affirmative answer and panicking, Kurune was extremely stressed about the missing child. A gentle wind blew and Hop caught a drift of the scent. 

"This way", he said and it led them to a study that was close to the king's study room. Hop could sense a few number of people inside the room and when he opened the door, distracting some of them, the two watched in horror as Levi and Mew crossed the portal made by Ren right after Bea had crossed it. The portal shrunk and closed. 

"Kurune?" asked Ikuo, surprised to see his wife looking like she had seen a ghost. 

"Oh no! LEVI HAD CROSSED THE PORTAL!" Kurune shouted, going to where the portal was and collapsed on the floor. 

"What?!!" Ikuo was aghast at Kurune's declaration. Acerola was flabbergasted, having failed to notice the two crossing after Bea. 

"Give me a crystal ball", said Kurune. She tapped it and Levi's face came into view. The child had made it there safely, with his vibrant laughter but the fact that Goh was also panicking behind the baby was the cherry on top of it all. 

"Mother! How did he manage to make the crossing?" asked Goh, looking worried that it happened. 

"I just went to check inside the drawer for a few minutes and when I came back, he was gone from the bed". 

"If Ren can make the portal again, we might be able to take him back". 

"Ren has to rest for a week and is out of commission at the moment", explained Goh, hugging Levi to stop him from struggling. 

"We have to make the crossing again after a week… There would be a delay in things…" sighed Goh, sporting an incoming headache. 

"Does that mean I get to spend time with him in a week?" Goh heard Ash asking in the background. 

_I guess, we are not in a hurry,_ thought Goh. 

"Please take care of Aria. We are in a situation where it won't be safe for them to be here", Goh stressed it out again, looking seriously at Hop. "I mean it".

It was then Hop understood the sincerity in Goh's voice. The heavy feeling he had felt earlier was finally lifted. 

"I want to be clear to you. I will take care of them but I am not their parent. It's up to you to have the situation there under control",said Hop. 

"That is a given", said Goh. "But ensure that they are safe. I don't mind if you are a bit overprotective". 

"Not that I will!" Hop turned his head to the side. The room rang with laughter at his shyness. 

Inside, he couldn't admit that he was feeling slightly better. Even if it was only an ounce. 

\------

It wasn't supposed to be hilarious but it did make Goh pleasantly entertained. With Levi within his embrace, he watched Ash sat in the seiza form, his head lowered while the High Officer General Bea began to spill her thoughts of the importance of minding his importance to Yadon and why he should leave without letting anyone know. 

"And Your Excellency should not just decide on a matter without having a thorough discussion with the rest of the parliament. We have implemented procedures to handle the resources and it must be finalized with great care", and the list of mistakes continued on. 

Deciding to just wait, given that Bea made strong points to remind their ruler of his duty - in which representative's nagging was only appropriate given the anxiety he had caused others -, Ash was taking it in and was enduring the heat on his ears. 

"You should reflect on your action. Do you think we will not assist in your search? Your Excellency should never forget where our loyalty stands. This is our stance as a part of your regime". 

It made Goh realise that it was complicated for Yadon's politics when they were missing an important figure. Any kingdom would but especially an empire, they couldn't risk any form of error on their side. 

"I truly apologise for the trouble I've caused", said Ash. 

Bea sighed and then turned to Goh. "If he were to repeat it, please let us know of his whereabouts".

"Better yet, I might just deport him back to Yadon with extra security", said Goh, smirking at Ash, who was shocked at the betrayal. 

"Please do", she approved of him almost immediately. Despite their difference in their personality, both were not the type to disregard their responsibility . It wasn't like Ash was the type to ditch something like that but he would try his best to squeeze his personal objectives that at times, it wasn't inline with their roadmap. 

"However, that is not supposed to mean he cannot spend his time bonding with you. It's just that he needs to at least let someone know where he is". 

"Exactly, I can still find time to bond… Really?" 

"I believe you shouldn't be worked to death and so from time to time, it is healthy for you to take your minds off your work". 

"But make a proper arrangement", said Bea, excusing herself from the lovers. She had lectured him long enough and from the way he brightened up at the end of the lecture, she could tell that he had found a place to return to. 

Once Bea was out of range, Ash stood and walked towards Goh and Levi. "Sorry that you have to see that". 

"Well, I enjoy it". 

"You enjoy watching me getting scolded?" 

"It's an eye opening lecture",Goh admitted. 

Ash felt a small hand yanked on his cufflinks. "Good day little sir Levi! How are you doing?" he made faces at Levi who giggled and started to spam him with a lengthy connected word as if he was saying papa. 

"Pfrffff, papppppa", the boy sputtered and crawled out of Goh's lap to climb onto Ash's one. 

Levi used his shoulder as a post to hold onto as he got onto his wobbly stance. He then proceeded to run his hand on Ash's stubble, laughing gleefully as he did so. Goh watched the two interacting, his heart expanding with joy. 

"I never know happiness until now", said Goh. 

"Aren't you happy with me around?" 

"I was happy but now I'm happier". 

"Mummy is happy so what should we do?" asked Ash to Levi who looked at them both with curiosity. Goh obviously disagreed with him jumping on the ship of calling him that, if the small punch on his shoulder was any indication 

"Mammmy". 

"No Levi, it's papa for me and daddy for Ash". 

"Mammmmy". 

"Resign to your fate, my dear Goh". 

Goh glared at him. "You did not just say that". 

"In fact, I just did". 

Goh sighed at the two children he had to keep watch on. The young one was adorable but the older one can get quite irritating. 

"I'll make him change it someday. Just you wait". 


	37. A contract

Indigo Plateau Kingdom, separated by Azalea and Ecruteak from Vermillion, was a kingdom that was well associated with poetry, martial art practices and artististry. Unlike many other kingdoms around the world, it was surrounded by sand dunes where in the middle was a small patch of water resource. It was the only place with any form of vegetations and the capital held a small number of citizens while the rest of it were scattered all around the kingdom.

Here, the palace was the most astounding sight to see. It was shimmering gold throughout the day and there were many art pieces that were dedicated to this magnificent view. They called the palace The Golden Sun Palace. 

Chloe pulled the hood over her face to block the sun. It had been a while since she returned there and the market waz so lively with all the vendors trying to cut prices down to gain customers. There were some poor ones but Indigo was quick to aid them with financial aid. No one goes hungry in Indigo Plateau Kingdom and it was a fact that they could be proud of. 

"Welcome home, sister", said Parker, teasing her long absence from the land. 

"Well, there's nothing better than here", said Chloe. She was feeling nervous to meet the queen. She missed her oh so very much. 

"Your mother would be ecstatic to see you again", said King Cerise, "but you have to start your training first". 

There was a flock of violent magical beasts encircling the palace. They looked like a crossbreed between a Torracat and a Pidgeot, small but aggressive. Their furs were all red as if it was a creature sent up from hell. 

Chloe had seen how her father fought Hop. His control on the fight and the amount of damage he dealt was what Chloe wished she could do as she became stronger.

King Cerise dismounted his Rapidash and walked with so much confidence that befitted the glory that he carried. His swords were unsheathed elegantly and he pointed them to the sky. 

The weight of the armor he carried was beyond the execution of a slash to send anyone to their end. At that point of time, she heard the king asking with a calm tone, "Do you search for a way to become stronger?". 

"Yes, father". 

King Cerise nodded. "A fighter slays to kill people, a good one slays to save people but a true warrior decides whether it was worth a killing. Remember this". 

Chloe hopped off from her ride pokemon. Raihan was also shaking around her waist. Meanwhile Parker got his arrows ready to back them up. 

"Your first lesson is to ensure that none of the beasts are injured too badly. They are still a living being", said King Cerise. 

"Drive them away but do not kill them. Got it", replied Chloe. 

"If you're ready, we should not waste time". King Cerise was quick on his foot. He made running in the sand seems easy for the onlookers with his heavy armour. Chloe followed behind him and despite all of her training in Yadon and Vermillion, she was unable to match his speed. 

"Find your pace!" shouted King Cerise. 

"Right. I will do that", said Chloe. A few of the flying beasts noticed them and broke from the flock, flying down to attack them. King Cerise crossed his swords together to block their claws, taking a step back and then using the back of his sword hit the weakest point of the beast which was in between its tail and hind legs. 

They shrieked and flew away from him. He handled several others this way to avoid killing them. Chloe on the other hand was struggling with the beast. When they flew closer to swipe their claws at her, she found herself having to dodge it to the side and unable to hit the back of the beast. 

"They're too fast!" she muttered, trying to gain control but was failing miserably. She tried again to land a hit but when they came so close, she could feel herself stiffing and panicking on how to change the blade direction so that only the back connected. 

She pulled away and side stepped everytime she was hesitating on her move. King Cerise saw this and shouted from his side, "Clear your mind and try to focus on a target at a time. They will dive in quickly together but you can't strike them all. You need to have control over which to strike first but at the same time, find an opening where you can avoid the others". 

"Noted!" she said and tried again. Two of the beasts flew at her and she chose the one on the left, seeing how there was another flying down right behind the two on the right. When the back of the sword connected with the beast's weak spot, she was slightly happy, as if she had achieved something great in her life. 

"I did it", she cried to Cerise. 

"Don't drop your guard just yet but you are doing great", said Cerise. 

"Yes father!" said Chloe. The lesson had just begun but she already felt the growth in the way she was fighting. 

She was going to grow further than this and she would make sure of it. 

\-------------

Levi stirred up in the middle of the night, rolling over to push himself into a crawling position. He was sleeping between Ash and Goh who were sound asleep and after punching and pulling Ash's face a few times but failing to wake him up, he crawled over to where Ash's sword was sheathed. The entryway was tied together to the ground to block his way out and so this was the only thing that was for his entertainment. 

Levi touched the sheath and felt a pricking energy buzzing on his tiny hands. He tried again and felt the sensation again. It wasn't hurting but like a gentle shock on his palm. Clapping and cooing excitedly, the baby kept touching the sheath until he was satisfied. 

The sound of the claps awakened Goh. "Levi?" he looked to where the baby was. Levi turned his head and clapped, stretching his hands out to be picked up. 

Goh sighed. It had been a while since he had a night time duty and went over to him, picking him up and putting the baby on his lap. 

"I missed this", he yawned. He knew his baby was going to be hungry and so, he decided to find milk in the storage cum cooking place. Bringing Levi with him to the kitchen area, he checked the storage for anything that looked like a milk container. 

There was a jar of goat milk kept and preserved within an icy crate and Goh tilted the milk into a bowl he found. The day before, he was taught how to soak some piece of bread to help the baby to chew on it, given that Levi had already started to eat. He used the fire from the torch to warm the cold milk to room temperature. 

Levi watched Goh preparing his food with curiosity. After the bread was soft enough , Goh took a small piece and let him chew on it. 

He was keeping away the bowl when he heard the sound of something entering the cooking area. Goh checked on the entrance but he saw no one. 

Thinking that it was his own imagination, he went back to cleaning but was surprised when a pixie was floating in front of him. 

"This baby is yours", it said as a matter of factly. 

"Y-Yes?" Goh stammered. The Pixie's eyes were beads like Primarina's ones. 

"His magic is full of life. With training, he can bring the dead back to life. His source of magic was the land that he walked on. If swayed and wrongly practiced, he will become a threat but correctly trained, he will become a saviour". 

"Uh… that is a bit unsettling for a child. I'm sure he will grow up just fine". 

"Indeed he will. A blessing to the land that he walked on", the pixie giggled. "But I like him. Let me grant you a contract". 

"With Levi?" asked Goh. 

"No, with you, child". The pixie created a soft glow in her tiny hand and firmly pressed it on Goh's shoulder. "The contract has been formed. When you need to know anything, just say my name, Antua. I am the ancient magical being who can tell you anything that you seek". Antua blew a golden dust at them, her body bent forward. 

Goh didn't remember what happened after that but when he woke up, both Ash and Levi were sleeping next to him inside the tent. Was it a dream that he experienced? Antua… maybe she would come in useful in the future. 

Ash was forcibly awakened from his sleep when Hau suddenly shouted from behind their tent, startling Levi in the process and causing the baby to cry. Goh picked him up, soothing him by rubbing down his back and making a shh sound. 

"OI, ASH!" cried Hau again. 

"... Can you tone it down a little bit? " said Ash from inside the tent. 

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to startle the baby". 

"It's fine", said Ash, yawning. 

"We will be doing some training. Duelling to be precise. Do you want to join us?" asked Hau. 

"Of course. Just let me handle my baby first". 

"..."

"... Oh…"

"I know you are married but it sounds like the baby is yours too", said Hau. 

"Don't!" Goh whispered and shook his head at Ash. They couldn't afford to talk about Levi or they would find out about Aria's existence . 

"... I love them all. You know, his kid is my kid too", said Ash, giving a generic answer to Hau. 

"Oh! I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions . Anyway, since you're joining, we will be waiting at the gathering place. I'll see you there", said Hau. 

"That was close", Ash huffed. Levi had stopped crying but he was hugging tightly on Goh like a baby koala. His face was scrunched with his cheeks puffed but otherwise, it was a manageable situation. 

"Hey, I know just the thing he needs ", said Ash. Goh passed Levi over and Ash began to hum the lullaby his mother often sang for him. Levi did too, humming to the tune between his sniffing. Soft light emitted from the baby and after a while he was fast asleep. 

"He really is a life source magician. We don't have enough records to understand them properly", Goh tapped his chin as he observed his son. 

"Well, he is something special", said Ash, carefully depositing Levi back for Goh to tuck him with the cloaks belonging to them. 

"I will probably watch your training later. Go ahead first before me", said Goh. Ash pressed his lips and gave him a morning kiss on the cheek. Goh was left in awe because this whole thing felt so domestic that it was unexpectedly unexpected. 

"I'll see you later", said Ash, picking the sword on his way out. 

\------------

Hau stretched his arms to prepare his body for the intense training he was about to engage in. There were a few people watching them - Goh was watching with the group, Gladion, Ren, Bea, Marnie and Lillie too. Levi sat cosily on his lap while Mew sat on Goh's shoulder. Pikachu was leaning on Goh's side, watching the battle as well. 

Ash was stretching too and then he tried a few swings. Hau was also testing a few slashes with his sword."You ready to go?" he asked Ash. 

"Is there anything we can't use in the duel?" asked Ash. 

"No, you can use aura if you want", said Hau. 

"Then, I won't hold back", said Ash, turning up his Aura Cloak. His clothes bled with black aura. It was the first time Goh saw this image of Ash and even though he was taking a guest seat in the duel, he could feel how the whole court was subdued by the aura. 

"That's more like it", said Hau, slightly sweating at the intensity. While Ash was gloating with his aura, Hau let it concentrate into the core of his body, erasing his presence. 

The duel started when Ash blocked Hau's sword with his own.

"When did he?" Ash was startled at the quick move Hau made. 

"He is veiling his aura and presence", said Leon who suddenly appeared at Ash's side. 

"Veiling…" 

Ash closed his eyes to find traces of Hau's movement. It took a lot of concentration - it was hard to search for the movement print. Hau did not waste his movement, he didn't even make a sound. It took a while but when he heard a small rustling, he dodged the sword strike but before he could lift his own up, Hau disappeared again. 

"Being sneaky, huh?" said Ash to himself. He carefully listened again, restricting his own movement to give more room of focus. He might look still but his guard was high. 

Ash turned around suddenly when he saw a shadow overlapping with his own. Their swords were clashing and they both grinned. "Not bad, being able to follow my movement", praised Hau. 

"I have a reputation to upkeep", said Ash. 

"Hm, but I will be faster", said Hau, suddenly squatting to the left and aimed to strike at Ash's shoulder. He planned to stop before it reached the cloth. Just touching would give him the victory he needed. 

Ash was shocked by the sudden shift in Hau's movement, the man was just extremely agile. He wanted to dodge it despite knowing it was too late to do so but his sword began to shake violently in his grip. 

"What's going on?" He tried to keep the sword still, despite it violently shaking but felt his aura boosting instead from his inner core. Leon who was watching from midair was clutching his head, as if something was hurting him. 

"Urghhh", Leon growled, his body fizzing with black smoke. It slowly took the form of something he had been, his original form that he had forgotten about. The watching crowd who saw a beast materializing from the sword began to scatter to safety. For the first time, they watched a beast emerge from a sword as if it had always been there and waiting to awaken.

It was then Hau noticed the radiant light seeping into the sword from the earth. 

"This light that is going into your sword…" Hausaid while Ash was gripping the sword with both of his hands to steady it. It was getting more difficult as the black smoke became thicker. 

Goh came running, carrying Levi to them. When Goh noticed the smoke and the light trail, it instantly connect. When Levi had seen the sword being thrust at Ash, he had thought that Ash was in danger. 

"It was my mistake. I shouldn't have brought him to see the training. Ash, he won't stop humming the tune because he thought you were going to die from it. I can't snap him out of the trance", said Goh. In his arm, the baby's eyes were out of focus and his humming was like a soft whisper. 

The beast, formed by the black smoke, roared across the horizon. Everything was out of hand and Hau wondered how he could take it down when it was not even a real being. 

That was when Goh remembered the contract he had made with a pixie. Hoping that their meeting had been real, he closed his eyes and shouted the name. 

"Antua!" 


	38. Of the Past

The training between Hau and Ash was entertaining to watch. The crowd that was watching didn't make a noise but carefully followed their movements. Their fighting stances were unique to their own and they were showing off their skills and abilities to get a hit on each other. 

Goh wondered if he could ask Ash to practice with him too. He might have been in a few difficult situations but he had never been in a situation where he had to fight a war.

It might be good if he could understand some quirks of Ash's fighting style so they could both work on it together. There would be situations where he might have to cover Ash and he would like to be in sync with him when they entered a battlefield. 

He watched as Ash tried to figure out where Hau was. As soon as he caught some clues in his surroundings, they were clashing blades but how proved that he had speed. He lowered himself and served Ash his defeat. 

He wanted to cheer but was distracted by the sound of soft humming of the tune he often sang. 

"Levi?" Goh picked him up to check on him. His eyes were out of focus and it worried Goh. "Levi?" he tried again to get the baby out of his trance. 

Then, the worse happened. 

A black smoke took the center of the dueling place, slowly taking the shape of a beast. While it was still forming, Goh immediately went to Hau and Ash. Ash was having difficulty controlling the shaking of his sword. He noticed the strange light from the soil being absorbed into the sword. 

"Ash, he won't stop humming the tune. I can't snap him out of the trance", said Goh. Hau and Ash were both watching the beast that had almost completed its form. It roared into the sky, its sound was breaking the silence in the forest. 

That was when a name crossed Goh's mind. "Antua!!" he shouted. It wasn't a dream. A small pixie poofed in front of him, quickly catching on with the trouble they were in. 

"You called me?" she asked. 

"Yes, I can't find a way to snap the trance he was in", said Goh. Antua flew closer to Levi. 

She powdered him with a pixie dust that resulted in the baby to fall asleep. "When he wakes up, he will be back to normal again". When Levi was asleep, the beast had also disappeared along with it. 

"Antua, can you stay to answer a few of our questions? You told me that if I seek answers, I can come to you", said Goh. 

"That can be done , my child", said Antua.

Reassured by her answer, Goh asked her to follow her back to the tent. Ash removed the aura cloak and followed Goh. He too wanted to find out. Hau wrapped up the training, asking everyone to return to their duty. 

Whatever it was, they better learnt it before it became uncontrollable. 

It didn't hurt to try to understand it earlier. 

\-----------

Magical beasts often came with their own condition before they would give you what you want. Their request could be simple to fulfil and there were requests that would ask for an exchange of something important to the contractee. This was the reason why magicians generally avoided any form of contract with them and preferred to work with Pokemons instead. 

Goh was lucky that the condition to fulfil the request was only to allow Antua to play with Levi. When the baby had woken up, the pixie spent her time until the stars were in the sky to play with him. Before that, she refused to answer Goh's question until she had gotten what she wanted. 

When Levi was tired and was fast asleep after having a rough day, Goh wrapped him with a clean blanket given by Hau earlier. The pixie, Antua flew closer until she was in front of Goh. 

"You told me you would answer my questions",said Goh. 

"Ask anything but I can only answer four times. Ask the right thing and you would have all the answers that you need. After you have completed it, I will disappear and will only return after a full cycle of the season ended", said Antua. 

_ Only four times?  _ thought Goh. Then he must think carefully about what to ask. 

"Tell me about the nature of a life source magician's magic".

"A question, not an order", said Antua, correcting him. 

"What is the nature of a life source magic?"

"A life source magic conditions a dying or a dead being to life". The pixie didn't elaborate further.

_ That's all?  _ Goh thought. 

"You have to be more specific with your questions. Three more to go before I disappear", reminded the pixie. 

"How does a life source magician bring the dying or dead object to life?" 

"A life source magician will borrow magic from the Tree of Beginning where the magic spreads through the root all around the world. Then, he will borrow the breath of Arceus and with these two combined, he will target it to the dying or dead object. I can only tell you this much". 

"How did the smoke beast come out from the sword?" asked Goh. 

The pixie flew to where Ash had stationed it. "That's because, this sword is a product from a magical beast. When the aura absorbs the magic, it fuels itself to which it becomes stronger. But the property of a life source magic is to bring the dead back to life. In other words, just now, this child was using his magic subconsciously to bring the beast of this sword to a living one with the support of Aura". 

"So you are saying if we were to let it happen? The beast will come back to life?" 

"Yes but this child is not strong enough to complete the form", said Antua. "Alright, that is for four questions. I will see you around, Goh". She said it before she was gone with a poof. 

There were still a lot of mysteries that remained. Goh wanted to unfold more than what he was given but he realized he would have to wait until it was the next season.

He sat down next to Ash who had been listening to the conversation. "We make a really grave mistake", Goh admitted. 

"What mistake?" 

"Both of the twins, they were like a being that should not exist. Bringing back the dead to life? A witch that could bring darkness all over the world? How am I supposed to cope with this dilemma?" 

Instead of replying Goh with words, he wrapped his arms around him and snuggled the crook of his neck. He could feel Goh's heart beating fast, reacting to his worry. 

"Hey, do you feel it is a mistake to be with me?" asked Ash after a while. 

"I don't regret it". 

"Then having them should not be a regret either", said Ash. "You were too silly, I swear. Thinking that this whole thing is a mistake. Even if it is, it's a wonderful mistake". 

"They were my happiness but I worry for them". 

"That's why we must protect them at all cost. Together. They are also my happiness just like yours". 

Goh smiled. "Alright". They stayed like that until it was midnight. 

\--------------

On a rare occasion , Ash woke up before Goh did. It was a cold morning as they were approaching winter and the tribe's people were kind enough to provide them with warmer cloth. He picked up Leon and brought it with him to an area that had no one. 

"Leon, can I talk with you?" 

Leon appeared right after he asked that. "Is there something that you would like to ask?" 

"Yes, I would like to ask about yesterday. I'm wondering if you are in good health". 

"I'm a spectre and so this kind of event will not hurt me". 

"But you were in pain when it happened", said Ash, not believing what Leon claimed. 

"I was in pain. The transformation that I went through, it felt oddly familiar but I cannot really place it". 

"Maybe it was your form when you were alive?" asked Ash. "Do you remember anything from your past? Who you were?" 

Leon looked sad. "The past had been erased from me, that was for sure. When I woke up, I only knew that I am a sword. I live in this existence for so long that I don't really contemplate if there was a life before this". 

"That must be lonely", said Ash, looking out at the view before him. They were sitting on a cliff, just watching the sun rose between the mountain range. 

"Do you wish to know about your past?" asked Ash. 

"I wish I could but it won't be possible",said Leon. "A new life is not too bad either. Maybe there is a reason behind all of this". 

Ash suddenly rose from his seat. The glimmer of gold in the sky made him want to reach out to Leon to give him the help he needed. Clenching his fists, he said, "I will help you out. As a Yadon Emperor, I will use all the resources that I have to shed a light on your past". 

"You don't have too…"

"No, I will help you as a friend. Even if it takes a lifetime, I will find your past self. What makes us who we are today is the past that we have. It's important for everyone". 

Leon laughed loudly. It was the first time Ash had heard such a genuine laughter from him that it made him happy too. 

"You are right. Then I must try my best to remember too", he said. 

The day will come when he would learn all about himself. Leon couldn't wait for it.


	39. Searching for the threat

Frederick's magic dealt with memories. His magic allowed him to project his own memories as he had shown to Ash before and the other one was to search the networks of human memories for the target item he wanted to know. 

In battle, it wasn't much of a useful magic but when they wanted to strategize, sometimes they would come to him for assistance. He was prepared to help Vermillion to win the war. 

After all, this was his home. 

He hovered his hand above Acerola's head, chanting the spell to extract the relevant memory. 

"Think about the face of the man you had seen", said Frederick, urging Acerola to remember the man she had served inside the suite at the tea house. 

Then, he saw the links being formed in his palm, like strings bunched together. Frederick pulled the strings like energy out of her head and casted a spell to spread them in the space in front of the other three men inside the room : Visquez, Ikuo and Hodge. 

"It's always amazing to see your magic, cousin", praised Ikuo. 

"I'm always happy to help".

"What are these?" asked Hodge. He had never seen Frederick's magic before and it was beautiful the way it linked. He noticed that there were a few pictures that were moving in a static position.

"The red link represents the network of people who had seen this man. The pictures are the faces of the people who are in the network. However, it doesn't consist of all information since I am only able to pull the network in the vicinity of the capital", explained Frederick. 

"Hm… Some of these men are wearing armours with our emblem",said Visquez, taking note of the soldiers. 

"We should begin to look at each person and try to compare with the records that we have", said Visquez 

"How long can you hold this, Frederick?" asked Ikuo. 

"Until I exhaust my magic but we can continue tomorrow if we are not able to finish it today", said Frederick. 

They began their work, taking the documents about the soldiers and the servants inside the castle. Cleaning the castle up from any possible threats became the first priority. 

While Hodge was skimming the records, he found a scroll, a record describing one of the servants called Tania. Hodge noted the duty area assigned was in the vicinity of th chamber where the twins were often kept in 

"This one is suspicious", said Hodge, pointing at the record in his hand. 

Visquez and Ikuo took a look at the report and entered a discussion with Hodge. 

"Marcus is related to this servant girl, Tania. She is also always around the chamber area. She has easy access to the twins", said Hodge, laying out the reasons for the accusations. 

Ikuo waved his hand in the air, casting a spell to retrieve a birth record of Tania. A few minutes later, a scroll flew through the opened window. He opened it and began to read on her birth history. 

"Her parents are from Vermillion and Viridian. She used to study and lived in Viridian until she was eight years old before they moved here permanently", said Ikuo. 

"Her connection to Viridian is quite strong", said Visquez, "It is better if we apprehend her for questioning. We shouldn't raise red flags too early and only focus on collecting information for now". 

"I agree to Visquez's suggestions", said Frederick. "This is a good chance to collect information on Viridian". 

"Then, let us proceed with this. Hodge, ensure that this is done in secret", was Ikuo's order. 

\------------

She was a fool, Tania cussed at her recklessness as she tried to dodge a few incoming soldiers that were after her. Her feet, agile like a trained soldier, let her scale the balconies and fences easily. 

However, the whole castle was surrounded by the soldiers and she had nowhere to go. Then it occurred to her that there was something else that she could do. She ran to the chamber where Aria was, pushing the door to reveal Hop who was watching the scene outside of the window. 

Tania took out a blade from her thigh. "Hand over the princess", she demanded, pointing at Hop. 

"Op", Aria sobbed, looking at the blade in fear. 

"Shh, we'll be alright", he said trying to calm the baby. Aria buried her face into his neck, averting her eyes from the threatening object. 

"Are you going to hurt her?" asked Hop cautiously. 

"Hurting the princess? Haha, why would I do that?" Tania laughed. "In fact, this blade is for hurting you. If you don't give me the princess right at this moment, I will kill you". 

"Why do you want to take her?" asked Hop, his eyes narrowed. 

"The likes of you don't understand her power but we do. We will groom her to become the most powerful ruler on earth", Tania cackled. She stiffened when she heard the sound of the door closing behind her. 

"Is that so, Miss Tania?" Hodge's voice was low as she stood behind her. 

Tania's breath hitched and she swiped her hand to target the blade on Hodge. He caught her wrist, stopping the blade from reaching him. 

"You are going to regret this!" she hissed. Hodge disarmed the blade from her and called for the soldier awaiting outside to bring her to the prison. 

"Thanks for agreeing to be a part of the plan", said Hodge. 

"Well, this is nothing", said Hop. He let out a shh sound to sooth Aria. 

"I don't expect you to agree", said Hodge. 

"Well, I thought she was suspicious too. There was this one time when she lied to me and so having the threat removed made the castle safer", said Hop. 

"Alright, I'll leave the princess in your care", said Hodge, leaving the chamber. He went to the king's study to report to Ikuo about the success of the capture. 

\-------------

Chrysa stood in front of the gate of the Summer House where Henry Forte lived. She had followed the map given by the king and ended up there, bringing with her a letter prepared by King Ikuo. Not too long after that, a servant walked out of the main door. 

"Good morning, how can I help you?" asked the servant. 

"I am Chrysa and I am here to be employed as a servant in the villa", said Chrysa, introducing herself. 

"Oh, are you here by recommendation?" asked the servant. 

"Yes. I would like to report directly to His highness, Henry Forte". 

"Please come in", said the servant, opening the gate for her. She followed the servant into the villa, taking note of walls that had overgrown crawling around the corners. 

The path was cobblestone and it led to the kitchen area. From there, the servant brought her up to where Henry was. 

He saw an old man sitting at his desk with his monocle, a glass that helped him read the letters that had become blurry by day. 

"I brought you Chrysa. She's here by recommendation and would like to serve the villa", said the servant. She left them alone to prepare for lunch time. 

Once she left, Chrysa put her letter of recommendation on his desk. "I am Chrysa, assigned by King Goh to station at your villa to improve communication", she said. 

"I see. I was hoping to hear from him soon but I never expected this fast", said Henry Forte. 

"My King is a diligent man. In fact, he has gathered enough information to proceed further".

"I see. Had he told you when the next meeting would be? Is he coming here?" 

"I don't have the answer to both of your questions . However, I believe the channel of the communication is via crystal ball", said Chrysa. 

"Crystal ball?" 

"I will show you later. For the time being, I will pose as a servant in your villa", said Chrysa. 

"It can be arranged", said Henry Forte, beaming at her. "Anything to make the kingdom better". 

"Thank you for your assistance. We greatly appreciate your help". 

Henry nodded. The winter was approaching and there wasn't a second to waste. If they were to target to fight at the beginning of the Winter, everything had to be done quickly. 

"I'll do as much as I can", he said, reassuring Chrysa that the alliance wasn't just an empty talk. 


	40. Reclaim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter. Today is a bit busier than usual.

The season had changed and the forest was covered with snow. It wasn't the first time that Ash had seen snow. He had been to a kingdom that had endless snowfall before when he was younger. He had a good memory walking through it despite shivering in the cold as a child. 

This winter was unlike any other winter he had experienced. This winter unveiled itself with the weight of the crowns on everyone's shoulders. It was heavy, just like the depth of his footprints in the snow. 

Goh's magic, casted on his armour, brought the much needed warmth for his body. The magician king himself was protected with clothes made of leather. They were lying in wait near the North camp, while Hau's army was using the sewage in the North side of the capital to enter it. 

Henry Forte had selected a number of soldiers who were loyal to King Hala's regime to fight alongside Hau in the capital while the East camp would restrain soldiers who were siding with King Morty. 

"I hope this will go well", said Goh as he clenched and unclenched his fist. They were waiting for the sun to go down before taking them by surprise. After agreeing with everyone, it was clear that battling after dark was much preferable since the number of soldiers working at night was lesser. 

"Let's wait for the sun to set", said Ash. Soon, they saw the ember signal from far. Lord Cinderace was staking out near the campsite ground and was ordered to send the signal to begin when it was time for the exchange of soldiers. 

"Men, this war is going to determine the fate of this kingdom who will be a future ally to us. That is why, supporting them until the victory horn will blow is the same as us winning for the sake of our empire!" Ash lifted his sword to speak. The men replied with their own cries and when the generals moved their army towards the campsite, Ash watched the troops go. 

"I hope this battle will bring us victory", said Goh. 

Ash nodded and as planned, they hopped onto the back of a dragonite and a flygon. For the two leaders, they would be overseeing the battle from above and sending instructions to generals where to move the troops. 

The archers guarding the towers at the campsite spotted the threat and began to scatter to warn the soldiers in the campsite to react to the threat. Some of them had begun to shower the army troops with burnt arrows but magicians deflected the incoming attack with their barrier spells.

The troops pressed forward. The foot cavalry engaged in sword fights with the Ecruteak foot cavalry. The situation was a mess. 

One of the enemy's archers spotted them and shot the arrow at the two but Goh was quick to cast a spell to return it to the archer. It hit his arms, blood curdling scream could be heard amongst the noises. This was the scene of a war, the scene where you would see humans sacrificed to protect different idealogies . 

Some were there because it was their job to protect others. Some were there because of fame and glory. Some were there because they were doing yo continue living. 

"It's a necessary evil", Goh mumbled. He hated the scene of the war but this was inevitable. 

"Goh, let's move the second wave in. I think it is time to engage battles with the general. If we prolong further, it might deter morales".

"Let's do this", said Goh, lowering the height towards the campsite. 

\-----------

They had just crossed the first sewer chamber and luckily for Gladion, he was riding Noivern to cross the stinky water. There were some narrow spaces in the chamber but it wasn't narrow enough to prohibit flying. The soldiers that were following them into the capital were only small in numbers but they were all riding a flying pokemon for smooth entry into the capital of Ecruteak from underground, where the soldiers would least expect. 

"We're getting closer to the second chamber's exit", shouted Hau. "The next one will have booby traps for us. Dodge as much as you can with flight capability. Do not engage with the traps using pokemon power. We don't want the ceiling to collapse". 

The men maneuvered their flying pokemons smoothly while dodging the traps. When Henry Forte told them he would choose the best flyers to assist with the entry, he was partially distrusting him but the man kept his words. "He really wanted us to win this", Hau muttered to himself. 

The breakthrough happened when they could finally see the manhole with a marked sign on it. "This is the exit we are looking for", said Manza, remembering the sign on the drawing. 

"Alright. Stay back. Decidueye, Leaf Blade!" 

Decidueye jumped from the back of the Dragonite that Hau was riding and tore up a gap big enough for the flying Pokemon to fly through. They could see the sky as they crossed it and there it was, the castle in plain sight. 

"We're inside!" Hau jumped down from the Dragonite, followed by Decidueye and Gladion. "Pokemons, distract the guards in the area!" said Hau. 

The soldiers ran into the corridor and soon, they were brawling with the castle's guards. Meanwhile, the pokemons were creating a diversion and some of them were covering their riders with flashy attacks. Servants of the castle came out running to find a safe place to hide or escape the castle's ground. 

Hau, Gladion and Decidueye kept being intercepted by the royal guards but they clashed swords with them until the soldiers were unable to battle. 

"Some of you, follow us this way!" cried Hau, heading to where the current King was slumbering. 

The uproar was so loud that the battle cries were the only noise they could hear even when they were away from them. After searching the buildings, they finally found the sleeping chamber. 

Hau smashed the door to pieces. When he noted that King Morty was not inside, he looked for clues that might lead them to where he was. 

"The bed is untouched. He is not inside here", said Gladion, taking into account how inhabited the bed was. 

"Look who I found", said a soldier who was from Ecruteak. "It's the queen". 

"Please don't kill me!" she pleaded the man but Hau approached her and put her light out. 

"Was that necessary?" asked Gladion, gasping at the stench of blood. 

"A new regime means a total wipeout of the old one. It's necessary and her eyes have seen so much suffering that her words do not match with what her heart desires ", said Hau. It was clear in her face even after she had given the last breath. She carried a lot of scars physically and emotionally that ending her life was the better option. 

" We have not checked the throne hall just yet . We should head there", said one of the soldiers and they left for it. 

When Hau opened the large door leading to the throne room, he was revealed to the sight of a man wearing a crown on his head holding a sword in his hand. 

Hau took a step inside. 

"Morty, I have come to reclaim back what does not belong to you". 


	41. At long last

It was an all time high and an all time low. Humans persisted to gain power and brought with them narratives of their own as they went for the high and fell for the down low. 

As they charged and fought their enemies, each having their own narration of principles and motives, they brought down with them dismantled beliefs that loomed over the chaotic scene of war. 

It ground them, it raised them and witnessed by the night was the illumination reflected the blood that flowed down the ones who were scarred. Some heads had fallen down and the gruesome display became a symbol of victory. 

They stepped on the body as some pushed forward to penetrate the defence. "Fire the arrow!" cried some of the soldiers, bringing with them adrenaline that refused to back down. 

Pokemons that were covering them fought hand in hand. This land will see a new light tomorrow if they focused on their mission. There were comrades that might have fallen but in the cemetery of fresh bodies, severed and bruised, there was no telling who had been killed. It was hard to see in front of them and there was no time to cry. 

"March March! Don't back down!" allies cried as they brought upon the defensive line an offensive line that was lit with falsification of morale and courage. A sight of war would blur the mind of a man of what's right and what is wrong. 

Fallen torches created a large fire, charring bodies that were near them, producing a scent of death. The ones that were caught off guard were soon eliminated with weapons of their desire. 

Bea and Bugsy swung their swords, planking it against the enemies and pushed them far. She showed them a beautiful sight of her powerful moves, taking down a number of soldiers a few size larger than her petite body. 

"Impressive", said Bugsy. 

"Focus, we need to clear the path. I can see the general camp up ahead!" cried Bea. Only when the path was cleared would the two leaders flew down from the sky. 

Bugsy matched with her results and soon, they were able to clear it. It was tiring but the work had been worth it as a man in armour walked out from the camp. 

"A girl and a young soldier? Obviously that is not a good match for me. I could kill you with my eyes close", said the general. 

"But we won't be the one to kill you", said Bugsy, smirking.

The general had to take a step back when a Dragonite and a Flygon landed in front of him with the dust flying around from the landing impact. 

"We will", the riders on the back of the two pokemon returned their greeting. 

\-------------

Just a week before the war, King Cerise received the letter of request to assist with the battle in Ecruteak's South Camp. He had sent Parker and Chloe to assist in the battlefield while he would follow after. Chloe went ahead with her brother and arrived just in time for the war.

Parker was assigned to man the border while Chloe was asked to follow Hodge as they made their way to the South Camp with Brock and the army. The South Camp was ones with a few of Ecruteak's best military generals and when they arrived, they could see their soldiers had already engaged with the Ecruteak's soldiers. 

It was an order Hodge gave to them that when the sun set, press on to attack. The army was faring well on their own. Chloe landed a few hits on one of the soldiers that charged at her. She coated Raihan with an aura coat and showed off a new move she had learnt from Cerise. "Recurring slash", she said and went to fence in a style that thrust the sword randomly to confuse the enemy before she took a side step and brought the enemy down. 

She could see how Hodge and Brock were handling two out of three generals on one side. Meanwhile Parker and her were partnering together to take down the elite general in front of them. The general was fluent with his swordmanship and had been blocking their attacks for a while now. 

"Do you really think this is enough to take me down", he said cockily. Chloe stood her ground and didn't react to the taunt. Instead, she did two moves of side slash before going for the kill on his neck. 

"Not enough", she hissed when realized that the force was dulled by the leather layer around his neck. 

"It didn't take long for you to realize huh?" laughed the general. 

"Don't be too sure that I would miss the second time",she hissed. Parker was covering her and making sure that there would be no interference in the battle. 

Chloe jumped backwards before running in a half circle and spinning twice in the air. Raihan in her grip clashed with the heavy sword. 

_ I can't utilize Raihan's cut if I am using the aura coat,  _ Chloe thought. Just as she was faced with this dilemma, Raihan appeared behind her. 

"Think of a balance. Like pushing and pulling at the same time until it feels like the energy is going nowhere.. And then, cut through it", he said. 

It was a good advice despite the situation she was in. Giving it a go, Chloe felt the aura and the sword energy on her hand . She tried to imagine the push and pull force and she could feel it running through the sword. 

Then, when everything became stable like they were one, she smirked and shouted, "Monochrome cut!" 

The blade met with the leather and it pierced through like cutting a cake. She watched the blood sputtered and the head lopped off to the ground. 

The general had been taken down. 

She watched the head rolled, keeping with it a shocked expression. A permanent trophy. 

And it was at that moment she saw two soldiers charging at a girl with a thin layer of armour, ready to swing their axes at her. Chloe's feet moved off from her victory field, carrying her forward to where the girl was standing. Frozen.

"Lillie!" she shouted as she did a deep focus slash while moving towards the girl she hadn't seen for a long time. 

  
  



End file.
